A sugar refinery known as St. Croix Sugar House was in approximately 1783 established at the site by Østersøisk-guineisk Handelsselskab. The sugar refinery was by 1787 managed by Niels Nielsen Hald. He lived in one of the apartments of the corner building with his five children (aged two to 14), a maid, three sugar refinery workers (svend)) and nine apprentices. Jeppe Prætorius was by 1787 among the residents.
