St. Thomas, The U.S. Virgin Islands

Kathrineberg, the official residence of the governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, was built in 1830 on the island of St. Thomas for a wealthy Danish plantation owner who later became governor of the Danish Virgin Islands. During the half century that followed, the house lodged a number of affluent Danish families. In 1918, following an extended period of neglect, the house underwent its first major restoration.

Kathrineberg suffered extensive damage during the hurricanes which raged through the islands in 1979 and 1981, and again with the advent of Hugo in 1989 and Marilyn in 1995. By the mid-1990s the house was suffering from severe water damage, evidenced by an overpowering smell of mold and numerous wallpaper and paint failures.

An expert toxicologist was brought in to determine the potential health concerns related to the presence of mold and mildew in the house. His investigation revealed a serious contamination problem, much of it contained within the walls of the structure. The building was immediately evacuated and steps were taken to remove all fungal organisms and infected material from the premises. Concurrent with the decontamination process, work began on the replacement of the roof and walls of the structure.

Conservation Solutions, Inc. (CSI) was hired by the West Indian Company, Limited, to act as project manager and quality control consultant for the restoration of Kathrineberg. To help facilitate matters and allow several tasks to be performed simultaneously, the project was broken down into three major phases: 1. the fungicidal treatment and clean up of contaminated materials; 2. the removal and disposal of the deteriorated roof and the installation of a new roofing system; 3a. the restoration of the governor’s bedroom and bathroom, kitchen, recreation room, and the replacement/repair of all deteriorated structural timbers; and 3b. The restoration of the remaining portions of the house, electrical work, and plumbing.

The existing roofing was replaced with a malleable stainless steel sheet roof, which is better suited to maritime environments than the original galvanized steel sheet roofing. Once all fungal organisms and infected material were removed from the premises the original colors of the interior were applied to the replicated vapor permeable canvas and paper wall covering system. Finally, all modern air conditioning units were removed, and the original system of through-ventilation was restored.

Click here to download a printable PDF version of this page.