National Historic Landmark

Columbus Landing Site

Salt River Bay, St. Croix County, U.S. Virgin Islands
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
66000743

About this property

Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve is a unit of the National Park Service on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It preserves upland watersheds, mangrove forests, and estuarine and marine environments that support threatened and endangered species. It also contains the Columbus Landing Site, a National Historic Landmark that is the only known site where members of a Columbus expedition set foot on what is now United States territory. The site is marked by Fort Salé, a remaining earthworks fortification from the French period of occupation, about 1617. The park also preserves prehistoric and colonial-era archeological sites including the only existing example of a ball court in the US Virgin Islands.

Location

Salt River Bay, St. Croix County, U.S. Virgin Islands
17.77877, -64.75907

Categories

EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Columbus Landing Site

This page lists Columbus Landing Site. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Estate Judith's Fancy
Colonial
0.9 mi
Estate St. John
Civil War
1.3 mi
La Grande Princesse School
Industrial
2.4 mi
Estate Little Princess
Colonial
2.7 mi
Friedensfeld Midlands Moravian Church and Manse
Early Republic
2.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Columbus Landing Site listed on the National Register?

Columbus Landing Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Columbus Landing Site?

Columbus Landing Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Columbus Landing Site a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Columbus Landing Site has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Columbus Landing Site?

The period of significance for Columbus Landing Site is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Columbus Landing Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Columbus Landing Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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U.S. Virgin Islands history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

U.S. Virgin Islandshistory ›

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