Gibney Beach

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Gibney Beach is a stretch of white sandy beach located on Hawksnest Bay on St John Island in the United States Virgin Islands. There is vibrant wildlife both on the beach and in the bay. The colonial history, the natives, the beatnik and hippie movements, and the locals of the island come together to form the original, bohemian character of the Beach.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Land Area and Owners 1.2 Colonial History 1.3 The Gibneys 1.3.1 Beat Generation Influences 1.4 The Oppenheimers 1.5 The Case 1.6 National Park Buys Gibney 2 Wildlife 2.1 Plantlife 2.2 On the Coast 2.3 Oceanlife 3 Tourism 3.1 Getting to Gibney 3.2 Villas 4 Activities 4.1 Snorkeling 4.2 Local Entertainment 5 References

[edit] History

[edit] Land Area and Owners

Up until 1950, after the Gibneys purchased the land, Gibney beach was only known as a part of Hawksnest Beach. The original 40 acre parcel of land purchased by Robert Gibney in 1950 has been divided and sold in a number of ways through the years. The beach area is now owned by the United States Virgin Island National Park. A small piece of land, on the far northeastern section of the beach, was sold to J. Robert Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atomic bomb, in 1957 and was eventually donated to “the people of Saint John” by his daughter upon her death. The house was later refurbished by the government and opened as a community center. ^[1]

Part of the Gibney's land area

The remaining Gibney property is private and contains the original Gibney home, a house built for the late John Gibney, which is now occupied by John’s wife and son, two guest houses that are used as rental property for vacationers, many fruit trees, unique island foliage and gardens. The Gibney Beach Cottage is one of the few rentals directly on the beach in St. John and the other guest cottage is located in the garden area among the vast fruit trees. The beach area in front of the vegetation line is open to the public.

The beach is very sandy and tress directly on the beach provide for a lot of shade. There is plenty of space to either be in the sun or in the shade. Sometimes people are seen wandering with their dogs or horses. When the tide is high, in some places, there is not much beach space.

[edit] Colonial History

The first humans to call St. John home were the Amerindian ancestors of the Taino. They established their village on what is now known as Hawksnest Point located between Hawksnest and Caneel Bay. European settlers named the bay Hogsnest. They bay was named after the hawksbill turtle because the turtle used to lay its eggs there. The turtles decided to nest somewhere else after the sudden increase in human activity on their former bay. Hogsnest Bay was eventually converted into the English language and renamed Hawksnest. ^[2]

Hawksnest or Gibney Beach was the dwelling of many European settlers and African slaves. There is evidence of the old, colonial European history found just inshore of the beach. An old, but still functioning water well serves as proof. Now, the water well is used for producing irrigation for contemporary provision ground, fruit orchards, and plant nurseries. ^[2]

[edit] The Gibneys

Robert and Nancy Gibney paid their first visit to St. John on their honeymoon in 1946.^[2] Robert was 31 at the time and Nancy was 25. They planned to spend a few months in the islands. In order to stay this extended time, Nancy had to quit her job as a feature editor at Vogue magazine. Robert planned to write a novel while in the islands. ^[3] The Gibneys rented a small cottage on Cruz Bay Beach. Later when friends Julius and Cleome Wadsworth, who lived on Denis Bay, moved back to the states for the summer, the Gibneys stayed in their home rent free. When the Wadsworths returned the following winter, the Gibneys were not yet ready to leave their beloved island so they moved into a shed on Henley Cay, an eleven acre island on Caneel Bay.^[2] At the time this was the only available housing to be found, and the Gibneys ended up living there for the next three years. In 1950 Robert’s father died and left Robert and Nancy enough money to look into buying land on St. John. They purchased 40 acres of land on Hawsnest Bay and made it their own. Their house was built in the center of the beach from rocks found onsite. Gibney beach became home to Robert, Nancy, and their three children, Ed, Eleanor and John. Robert home schooled all three children.^[2] He worked for Caneel Bay during the expansion of the resort in the 1950’s. In the 1960’s he became a librarian in Cruz Bay. Nancy wrote short stories. Women’s magazines such as McCall’s and Redbook normally published her works. ^[3]

Robert died in 1973 and Nancy in 1980. Today, Robert and Nancy are buried in a Cruz Bay cemetery, just a few hundred feet from their first residence on the island. Robert and Nancy left the beach property to their children when they died. The land was divided amongst them. Ed Gibney, Robert and Nancy’s first-born child, is a lifelong resident of Saint John and works as a surveyor. ^[3] Eleanor is now on the board of the St. John Historical Society. She too is a life-long resident on St. John, having grown up on her family's beachfront property. For fifteen years she worked for the Caneel Bay Resort becoming the chief horticulturalist. Just recently, she published her first book, A Field Guide to Native Trees and Plants of East End, St. John U.S. Virgin Islands. Eleanor is a premier tree and plant expert on St. John. She married Gary Ray and they have two children together. ^[3] John, the Gibney’s second son, was a gentle man and has been described as an “imposing fixture reminiscent of a Caribbean Tarzan”. Until his death on January 14, 2003, he lived on Gibney Beach, planting and tending to a beautiful garden of tropical trees. He was loved and admired by many natives of St. John. At his memorial service, about 1,000 came to pay their respects. John Gibney is buried on the property within his gardens. ^[1]

In the present day, the piece of land neighboring the former Oppenheimer home is bordered by a white picket fence. Teri Gibney, the wife of the late John Gibney, privately owns this piece. John and Teri’s son, Tommy, lives with his mother on the beach. The beachfront property that belonged to Ed and Eleanor Gibney was sold to the National Park. Although the provision grants one Gibney inheritor the lifetime right to live in the Gibney house, another Gibney inheritor has the right to access the land on the former part of the beach.^[2]

[edit] Beat Generation Influences

A major part of the naturally authentic quality and bohemian vibe at Gibney Beach can be traced back to its “beat generation” roots laid by the Gibney’s and their beatnik group from Columbia University in New York. Their group of friends and colleagues included the author, Thomas Merton, the poet, Robert Lax, and the painter, Ad Reinherdt, all of whom visited them on the island. Robert actually graduated from Columbia University and met Nancy through several of their common, beatnik friends at the University. The Gibney’s played a central role in the beat movement: Robert was a painter, sculptor, writer, and theorist. The Gibney’s children followed in their parent’s beat generation footsteps. As the beat movement fed into the hippie movement, the Gibney’s children and their hipster friends communed at the Beach. As a result of Gibney Beach’s roots in these two cultural movements, it is still common for Gibney to attract an offbeat crowd. ^[1]

[edit] The Oppenheimers

After living on the beach for seven years, the Gibneys were forced to sell part of their land to J. Robert Oppenheimer in 1957 due to financial problems. J. Robert Oppenheimer is known as “the father of the atomic bomb.” The Gibneys sold their most northeastern part of the land to Robert Oppenheimer and his wife, Kitty, who built a vacation home. After their death, The Oppenheimers left the land to their daughter, Toni. Toni died in 1976 and left the property to “the people of St. John”. The land is now a public park. ^[2] The “people of St. John” did not attend to the responsibilities left by this gift, and the house was vandalized and covered with graffiti. It soon fell into disrepair. Finally, the United States Virgin Island government took over the property, and created a Community Center on the property. Now, the center can be rented out by paying a small fee for such events as senior citizen outings, boy scouts meetings, local reggae and calypso bands, picnics, weddings, and birthday parties.^[2]

The property sale by the Gibneys to the Oppenheimers proved to be a problem among the families and brought with it much controversy and heartache.

[edit] The Case

To avoid over development the Gibneys had a series of deed restrictions placed on the selling of their land. The deed restricted the property to a one family dwelling. In order to preserve the perfect and [[natural[[beauty of the land, the placement of any structure had to be pre-approved by the Gibneys. The Gibneys also placed deed restrictions that prohibited the rental of the property. Also, in their deed, they had the right to repurchase the property if and when the Oppenheimers wanted to sell the land. This first right of refusal was the most important part of the deed to the Gibneys. At first, the Gibney's deed did not seem to restrict the Oppenheimers, but they began renting their vacation cottage, soon after it was built, through the local real estate agency. The Gibneys disapproved, and the Oppenheimers argued against the Gibneys and said that the tenants they were renting to were “just friends of theirs”. When Robert Oppenheimer died, Kitty began construction on a second building. Once again, the Gibneys protested and Kitty pleaded that this building was, “just a tool shed”. The so called “tool shed” was built on the property line between the Gibneys and the Oppenheimers, and was too close to the beach according to the Gibneys. That Christmas, both of the buildings built by the Oppenheimers were rented out to, “just friends”. The friendly relationship between the Gibneys and the Oppenheimers ended. A number of lawsuits followed, and the police were called to intervene on several occasions. ^[4]

After Kitty died, the Oppenheimer's land was left to their daughter Toni. Toni committed suicide and left the land to “the people of St. John for a public park and recreation”. The Gibneys rejected the idea of a public park and expressed to Robert Meyner, Toni’s executor to estate, their Right of First Refusal. In Meyner’s responses he declared that their Right of First Refusal only applied to a sale, not a donation. The Gibneys fought back warning Meyner they would engage in a new deed saying only a one family residence could be built. Meyner responded that there would be no need for future buildings.^[4]

Even with the deterioration of the building and property following Toni’s death, the Gibneys did not give up on their fight. They wanted to regain control of the property, but faced numerous delays. When Robert Gibney died in 1973, Nancy kept fighting. Nancy passed in 1980 without resolving the conflict. The National Park Beach took over the property at Hawksnest Beach and a parking lot, changing area, pit toilets, barbecue grills, tables, benches, and sheltered pavilions were added to the property. The beach’s visiting population grew. The land became known as Hawksnest Beach and the smaller section Gibney Beach. The Government of the Virgin Islands took ownership of the Oppenheimer land. They renovated the old house and made improvements to the land; it is now used as a Community Center. A large iron gate was placed at the entrance to the Gibney's property on the North Shore Road to prevent cars from entering. Ironically, the gate was plainly inscribed “Oppenheimer Beach”.Two driveways serve as the entrances to the Gibney’s private property.^[4]

[edit] National Park Buys Gibney

A great amount of Gibney Beach today is under the stewardship of the United States Virginia Islands National Park. Thus, the property belongs to the United States citizens and their guests. The two acres of the waterfront land were the first major acquisition made by the Virginia Islands National Park since January 4, 1979, when they acquired the Annaberg estate. On August 15, 1997, Robery and Nancy Gibney’s children; Ed, Eleanor and John decided to option their portion of the beachfront property to The Trust of Public Land, an organization working in partnership with The Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park. Friends is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of the natural and cultural resources of the Virgin Islands’ National Parks. As the official private sector partner to the Park, Friends is a membership organization that raises funds from individuals, corporations, and foundations to supplement the Park's budget. ^[5] At the time, the remaining five acres of the Gibney's land was valued at over 3.5 million dollars. The Gibneys were not concerned about the money; they agreed to sell the land to the Trust for less than the market price. It became clear that without creative compromise, there would not be adequate resources to compensate Ed and Eleanor. Consequently, Ed agreed to re-subdivide his property to include all of his beachfront, but somewhat less than his total acreage. Eleanor agreed to retain a right to remain on her property for a term of 30 years in exchange for the reduced price.^[5]

[edit] Wildlife

On St. John there are 140 species of birds, 302 species of fish, 7 species of amphibians, 22 species of mammals and 740 species of plants inhabiting the island. In addition there are about 50 corals species, many gorgonians, and sponges. The only mammal native to Saint John is the bat; however, many non-native animals have been introduced to the island over the years, such as dogs, cats, donkeys, sheep, deer and pigs. ^[6] Many of these animals and topography elements can be found on Gibney beach, whether in the ocean or on the shore or off into the jungle-like wilderness just off the coast.

[edit] Plantlife

Inside the forests off the shore of Gibney Beach, there is also an abundance of plant life. Gibney Beach lies on the eastern coast of the island and is characterized by dry forest vegetation. Cactuses such as dildo, prickly pear, organ pipe and turks cap are prominent in the area. These cactuses grow alongside shrubs, such as maran, and thorn bushes like casha and catch-and-keep. The thorny nature of these forests make then difficult to navigate. Mangrove forests can also be found off Gibney Beach. Mangrove trees alter the shoreline, changing salinity, tidal inundation and oxygenation of the soil. Red mangroves are the most common and grow in the ocean. They have specialized prop roots that protect shorelines and serve as nurseries for many marine animals. Other mangrove species that can be found on the coast are the black, white, and buttonwood mangroves. ^[7] Other more exotic and beautiful trees can be found in residential areas off Gibney Beach. Gardens often include orchids, heliconia, ylang-ylang trees, and fruit trees such as coconut, star fruit, bananas and mango. ^[8]

Coconuts grown on Gibney BeachTaken by Abby Trenor 07/07/07

Bananas grown on Gibney BeachTaken by Abby Trenor 07/07/07

[edit] On the Coast

The coast of Gibney Beach is also full of wildlife. The sand that makes up Gibney beach is made primarily from two sources, marine algae and living coral reefs. Sea turtles occasionally visit the beach to lay eggs. Sandpipers and other shore birds are often on the beach, searching for small crabs and mollusks that live beneath the sand. ^[7]

[edit] Oceanlife

Perhaps the most interesting wildlife of St. John is located beneath the surface of the ocean. Gibney Beach is not a big attraction for snorklers because much of the marine life off Gibney Beach was significantly damaged during a heavy rain during the excavation for the Myrah Keating Smith Clinic. Soil was washed down into the bay and resulted in turbidity that damaged much of the coral life in the bay. The coral reefs are slowly coming back to life bringing more animal marine life with them. ^[1]

There are many kinds of coral located off the shores of Gibney beach, including: brain coral, elkhorn, staghorn, boulder coral and fire coral. These coral reefs are colorful and contain a variety of fish and other aquatic creatures. Atop these large coral bodies sit sea fans, sea whips and sea plumes. Coral animals like star coral, brain coral, coral polyps, and pillar coral can be seen extending their tentacles at night. ^[7]

Common fish off Gibney Beach include: goatfish, grunt, tang, parrotfish, angelfish, squirrelfish, trunkfish, trumpetfish, yellowtail snapper, blue runners, grouper, butterflyfish, damsels, squirrel fish, porcupinefish and wasses, as well as octopi and various types of eels. The reefs also house a number of invertebrates including sponges, starfish, urchins, worms, crabs, lobsters, and sea anemones. ^[1][7]

A view from the ocean on Gibney taken by Abby Trenor 07/07/07

[edit] Tourism

[edit] Getting to Gibney

Gibney Beach is located on North Shore Road (Route 20) about 2.1 miles (3.4 km) from Mongoose Junction in downtown Cruz Bay. There are no signs that lead you to Gibney, no parking lot and no facilities. There is only a small gravel road leading down to the beach, blocked off by a tall white gate to keep cars out. There is a small opening in the gate allowing entrance by foot. In front of the gate, a small portion of the road is open where about four cars will tightly fit. Even though it is open to the public, the beach has a very private feel.

Gibney Beach neighbors Hawksnest Beach. The entrance is the third driveway on your left if passing Hawksnest. To the right of the driveway is the Oppenheimer part of the beach. The southwestern part is Gibney. While they are nearly the same beach, the Oppenheimer house is open to the public, but the Gibney house sections are private. In the Virgin Islands, public domain property is from the sea to the first line of vegetation. Behind the first line of vegetation, the Gibney Beach property belongs to the Gibney family. Gibney has appeared on commercials and in magazines. It has also been used by Hollywood as settings for the motion pictures “The Four Seasons” and “Columbus”.

[edit] Villas

There are only two villas on the beach available for rent by visitors and tourists: the Gibney Garden Cottage and the Gibney Beach Cottage, both located directly on the beach. Because of their prime location and marvelous view, they are desired rental properties for vacationers. The cottages can be rented separately or together, and botanical gardens surround the two villas filled with orchids, heliconia, ylang ylang trees and fruit trees consisting of exotic plants and fruits including coconuts and star fruit. ^[8]

The Gibney Beach Cottage is located on the front of the property facing the beach. The villa itself consists of one bedroom of a queen-sized suite with a sleeper sofa, marble floors, a full open kitchen, TV/VCR, indoor and outdoor showers and central air conditioning. There is also a large covered deck in front of the cottage. The Gibney Garden Cottage is located in the back portion of the property but also faces the beach and has a lovely view of the ocean and mountains. It is surrounded by lush gardens and is about 30 paces away from the Gibney Beach Cottage. An orchid house separates the two properties. It is the more private of the two cottages and consists of two bedrooms and one bathroom. ^[8]

Each villa has its own entrance with a shared driveway. Apart from these two cottages, two other homes exist, but are privately owned and not open to visitors to rent. The owners manage their own property. Prices to rent the cottages range from $4,000-6,000 a week, depending on the season. ^[8]

Gibney beach has almost no parking available, and there are no hotels or condos to rent on the land. There are, however, a few homes that are within easy walking distance to Gibney Beach, that are also popular with visitors and tourists. Tourists also have a very scenic and easy drive on paved roads into different shops and restaurants of Cruz Bay nearby. ^[9]

[edit] Activities

For simply relaxing on the beach and enjoying the nature of St. John, many people, both tourists and locals alike, visit Gibney Beach for its quieter atmosphere. This private, “off-the-beaten-path” quality of Gibney Beach is due to the fact that there are no water sport rentals, eateries, and only limited limited parking available. ^[9] Sea grape trees and palms line the shore creating shade. There are tree-covered picnic tables for those who wish to bring their own meal and enjoy family and friends at the beach. There is no admission charge at Gibney Beach. ^[10]

[edit] Snorkeling

Although it is not the favored snorkeling area in St. John, the most popular activity at Gibney Beach is snorkeling. This is due to the accessibility of waters and the waters’ appropriate conditions for the most novice to advanced snorkeling. ^[10] The snorkeling here is also popular because of the vast array of coral and fish that are visible on the fringing reef in the area. In addition to the plants and animals, there is a sunken sailboat that is accessible to explore while snorkeling. The best snorkeling here is during the summer. ^[1]

The Community Center at Gibney Beach was once the home of the Oppenheimer family. Now this portion of the beach is public and offers the best access to the reef. Here, the white sand is soft and the water is shallow and ideal for beginners. For more advanced snorkeling, one can continue north on the eastern coastline to Perkins Cay and Denis Bay. The deeper waters range from six to ten feet deep. ^[1][10]

Much of the colorful reef life is very close to the shore. One can see sections of beautiful boulder, fire, brain, and elkhorn coral. Spottings of both small and medium schools are fish are common. The fish close to the shore, visible while snorkeling, include: parrotfish, squirrelfish, trunkfish, trumpetfish, goatfish, grunt, and tang. There are also predator fish like the yellowtail snapper and the blue runner. ^[1]

[edit] Local Entertainment

Local reggae and calypso bands perform regularly at Gibney Beach at the Community Center. ^[1]

[edit] References