Inscription:
This site marks the only point on the United States Territory where members of the crew of Christopher Columbus came ashore on his second voyage to the New World in November 1493. It also relates to the first recorded altercation between Europeans and the native people of the western hemisphere, at a point on the other side of the bay, known as “Cape of Arrows”. The site on which you stand was a Native American village and ceremonial site, and includes the site of the only known ball court (or batey) in the lesser Antilles. Later after the demise of the native population on St. Croix, an earthen fort was erected, the remains of which can be seen, and was successfully occupied by European powers, including the English (1641-1645-50), Dutch (1642-1645, and French (1650-51) (1665-1733). In 1788 a Danish Customs House was built nearby to thwart smuggling, and during the 1920’s. Danish archaeologists carried out extensive excavations on the prehistoric village site.
