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Steeple Building Essay

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Built in the 1750’s the Steeple Building was the first Danish Lutheran church on St. Croix. Located on Company Street, Christiansted, the official name of this building is The Church of our Lord God of Sabaoth. It was the representation of the Danish state religion from 1754-1831. Both government administration and the fort’s garrison were required to worship at the Steeple Building. The Steeple Building was not only used as a place of worship. Official proclamations were read from the pulpit within the church. One of those official proclamations was the abolition of the Danish slave trade. The building was also used as a military bakery and storehouse (1841-1909), Sunday school and Town Hall (1909-1916), Hospital (1916 & 1925), Town Hall and School (1925-1954), and Historic site and museum (1964- present). …show more content…

A few included: To focus the attention of the people towards heaven; to house the church bell. Steeples were built higher than surrounding building so that the bells could be heard from a far distance. The bells were used for emergencies and also to announce that a community meeting was about to begin. The people would follow the sounds of the bell to find the church. The Steeple Building douse house a bell. Other additions to the Building includes clocks and a weathervane located at the very top. The Steeple Building was built by the Danish West Indies and Guinea Company. Initial construction of the Steeple Building began in 1750 and was completed in 1753. The baroque tower and cupola were built about forty years after the initial construction. The church of the entire building is a rectangular masonry structure. It measures 28 x 88 feet. The Steeple measures 15 x 18 at ground level and is 77 feet

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