It all began simply enough in 1954: Seventeen cottages at the base of historic Frenchman’s Hill on a pristine cove about three miles from Christiansted opened for business. Designed to attract visitors seeking respite from their weather in colder climes, the cottages benefited from their convenient location near town, the incomparable views of the Caribbean Sea, and the unique 150-foot seaside saltwater pool that was carved into the foot of the cliff steps from the cottages’ front doors.

The fledgling development was the brainchild of Caribbean tourism visionary and pioneer Erik Lawaetz, a St. Croix native of Danish descent who saw tourism’s potential to bring employment and vitality to his island. With airlift to the Caribbean growing significantly in the late 1950s—especially from the heavily populated northeast United States—Lawaetz sensed it was a good time to do his part to put St. Croix on the tourism map. He was right. In a few short years, demand for the cottages soon outstripped supply. Lawaetz decided to tear down most of the cottages and replace them with something bigger and better: the stylish new St. Croix by the Sea Hotel. Boasting 67 well-appointed rooms, conference facilities for 50 to 150, championship-caliber tennis courts and a pro shop, and a new bar and restaurant on the deck of the original pool, St. Croix by the Sea became the place to stay, dine, dance, drink and enjoy life on St. Croix.

As the St. Croix tourism industry continued to surge in the 1960s, Lawaetz once again faced the challenge of having enough rooms to accommodate all who wanted to visit and invest in the island. Looking up the slope of Frenchman’s Hill just behind the hotel, he found his answer. Lawaetz broke ground on that site in 1966 to construct the first two structures of what would eventually become the 10-building, 132-unit St. C resort condominium development.

At the time, condominiums—while common elsewhere—were a relatively new concept to the Caribbean. But word spread quickly among frequent island visitors, particularly those who were guests of St. Croix by the Sea. The first unit in the complex—#201—was sold on July 29, 1969, for $42,254. Within a year, the first two St. C buildings—comprising 42 units—were completely sold out. The purchase price and a low monthly association fee of $85 made St. C an affordable option to many, and the 1,200-square-foot size of each unit provided ample space for a single person or couple. An early St. C promotional brochure noted the units are “double the area of a medium-size home.” Construction continued for several years, with each building selling out as quickly as workers could complete them.

1974 the complex’s pool and adjacent Top of St. C Restaurant opened. These amenities were combined with daily maid service and a full-time maintenance and services staff to offer what had quickly become one of the island’s most dynamic, exciting communities. The restaurant, in particular, was wildly popular, garnering acclaim from visitors and locals alike for its casual elegance, salad bar, steak-heavy cuisine, and stunning views of Pelican Cove and beyond. Reviews of the restaurant at the time praised Top of St. C for its top-notch food, meticulous service, and charming atmosphere. “Whatever you choose,” gushed a reviewer for the Virgin Islands Daily News in 1974, “it will be cooked to perfection and served beautifully.”

Because the St. C Condominium was managed by the adjacent St. Croix by the Sea Hotel, owners at St. C enjoyed the resort’s facilities. Owners had the option to join the complex’s Hotel plan, which enabled owners to rent out their units on a vacation basis when they were off-island (which was often, as the vast majority of owners at the time only stayed in their units for a few weeks or months out of the year). The arrangement was good for everyone involved: Lawaetz had his additional rooms to house more visitors when the hotel was complete, and the owners had the interior of their units serviced and maintained while still generating rental income for them.

Poolside cocktails and impromptu parties were regular occurrences, and owners reveled in the camaraderie that filled the complex. Dancing and nightly live music was a golf cart ride away to the hotel, the tennis courts just outside St. C’s front gate regularly hosted top-tier tournaments, and Christiansted’s thriving downtown shops and fine restaurants beckoned.

The mid-1970s brought several changes, including the completion of the last building on the upper level in 1974. Tourism and development on the island had stalled and affected all aspects of island life for years. In 1977, Lawaetz entered into a joint venture with Prinair Hotel Development Corporation to operate the hotel and condominium. Not long after, the Association of St. C Condominium Owners terminated its management contract with Prinair and ran the complex independently.

In the 1980s, St. C—and St. Croix itself—faced more challenges, none bigger than Hurricane Hugo in 1989, which decimated the island and its tourism industry. Many businesses, including several hotels, never reopened after Hugo. In the post-Hugo years, St. C began to change as well. Furthermore, the harsh Caribbean environment, exacerbated by the intense salty sea spray St. C attracts, took its toll on the complex’s physical plant. The Top of St. C fell on hard times and eventually closed for good in the mid-late 1980s. Down the hill by the water, the St. Croix by the Sea Hotel had received punishing blows from numerous hurricanes and tropical storms. By 1996, it too was history, finally done in by Hurricane Luis.

However, while a bit down, St. C was far from out. The complex still had the million-dollar views that first attracted the eye of Lawaetz and thousands of people after him. While somewhat worn around the edges, St. C’s buildings had weathered remarkably well the best that Mother Nature had thrown at it, thanks to Lawaetz’s early insistence that only reinforced concrete and masonry—no drywall—be used in the buildings’ construction. It retained its convenient location, making it attractive to those who wanted quick access to Christiansted and other island areas.

In 2010, the Association of St. C Condominium Owners board decided to re-capitalize on those advantages. Working with the complex’s professional staff, the board launched an ambitious—and long-needed—program to restore St. C to its former glory. First, the roofs on all ten buildings were repaired to eliminate cracks that had formed over many years. Next was a complete renovation of all the buildings’ exteriors, including replacing all balcony railings, correcting masonry defects, and a new bright-yellow paint job. Along the way, the pool was completely refurbished, new security lighting was added, the old restaurant space was renovated to accommodate small-group meetings and other events, and a new entry gate was installed. A more expansive security station was built, and new plants and other features are continually added to the ground’s landscaping.

Due to these and other efforts, St. C is once again one of the premier residential communities on St. Croix. Although the complex still has its share of snowbird owners, it has increasingly become a place where people from all walks of life live year-round. They are attracted by what St. C offers and that many seek: a diverse and respectful community and a laid-back vibe—in a setting of exquisite natural beauty with the best weather on the planet. While much has changed since the late 1960s with the complex, St. Croix, and the entire Caribbean region, St. C has retained a vital quality: the enthusiasm, energy, and dedication of owners and tenants who take pride in this place they call home.