Exposed Brick Basket Handle Arches of Frederiksted, St. Croix
Masonry arches are a prime characteristic of Danish colonial architecture. You rarely, though, saw them like this at the time they were constructed. Back then (1700s), the brick and stone was coated with plaster. The resulting facade bore a smooth veneer that was later painted. The opportunity to see (and feel) the exposed Danish colonial brick and mortar in basket handle arches like this one in Frederiksted presents a unique window into the raw history of St. Croix.
Covering the bricks, though, was not done for purely aesthetic reasons. The lime plaster worked to protect the brick from the deleterious effects of salt air, wind, and storms.
Personally, I prefer the arches this way, the yellows, reds, and oranges of the fabulously flexible Flensburg brick shining through.
What do you think..?