St. Thomas is home to a large population of French people, descendants of immigrants who came to St. Thomas from St. Barthelemy (a French island in the Caribbean) between the 1920s and the present. From Frenchtown, just west of Charlotte Amalie’s waterfront, to the French enclave on St. Thomas’ North Side, the French community – locally and affectionately known as ‘Frenchies’ – have played an essential role in the settlement and development of our islands.