Creating a Virtual 3D Reconstruction of the St. Croix Leper Hospital

Summary

This is a poster submission presented at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Located in the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Croix is rich with history. From 1625 through today it has been occupied by seven colonial powers and offers unique insights about the workings of globalization, which impacts Crucian healthcare, life, and death. This project examines the St. Croix Leper Hospital that operated from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. Most original hospital buildings were demolished, which poses challenges in contextualizing residents’ daily life. To understand their physical living space, this project integrates historical data, archaeological evidence from recent excavations, and photogrammetry to create a 3D virtual reconstruction of buildings used as living quarters. The 3D rendering provides a visual insight to living conditions and helps contextualize colonial public healthcare policies and practices. The model will be disseminated for public consumption, especially for Crucians interested in learning about a poorly known aspect of their heritage.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• 2022 SHA Poster Submissions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology