St. John’s Episcopal Church celebrates 264 years of history on St. Croix

Dear Editor, Last month, St. John’s Episcopal Church, also known as St. John’s Anglican Church, in Christiansted celebrated its 264th birthday.

The church, rich in history, was built by enslaved Africans and the so-called “free colored” people, who really were not free but just held different standards of slavery in the Danish West Indies. On July 20, 1906, a funeral service was held at the church for Susannah Abrahamsen, known as “Bottom Belly”, and one of the queens of the Fireburn labor riot in 1878. Many drive past St. John ‘s Episcopal Church in Christiansted daily with no idea that her service was held there. Historical records show that she was buried adjacent to Christiansted cemetery. While I’m talking about cemeteries, the church’s yard is full of graves dating back to the 1700s. In 2016, the church’s graveyard was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Additionally, within the church, there are memorial bricks sharing the history of people who once attended service there. I have toured the church several times with Vivian I. Ebbesen-Fludd, a native Crucian and former Health Commissioner. Ebbesen-Fludd, who leads the Crucian Culture and Tradition group with annual holiday events including a lantern parade and tree lighting at Limprict Park, does a great service articulating the history of the church. I’ve been very impressed during those tours, listening to her describe her love for the church and about those buried.