ST. CROIX — Gerville Larsen, a sixth-generation Crucian, accomplished architect, historic preservationist, and recognized artist whose works have been selected to represent the Virgin Islands in other countries, has died.
The Larsen family announced that he died Wednesday. He was 59.
“With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Gerville Larsen, who left us on October 29,” the family stated. “He was a beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend to many. Gerville will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew and loved him. We will advise at a later date of funeral arrangements to celebrate Gerville’s life and legacy.”
Diane Russell, Larsen’s childhood friend, said he was loved and accomplished.
“He was friendly, he was caring, and those of us who knew him will forever feel broken and a bit rudderless without him,” she said. “He was such a good leader and a good steward of our culture and our architecture.”
Russell described Larsen as being knowledgeable, friendly, and fun.
“We were getting ready to celebrate his birthday that was coming up, and his closest friends from all over the world were going to converge and celebrate with him,” she said. “Now, we’re all a little bit lost.”
Former Senator Myron Jackson, who first worked with Larsen when they both held positions in the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources, said Larsen recognized the importance and beauty of the territory’s architecture. He noted that Larsen was selected to design the building on Hospital Street in Christiansted that will be transformed into the Virgin Islands Architecture Center for Built Heritage and Crafts.
“In addition to his preservation initiatives, he was an outstanding architect and designed and engineered and worked with other architects in the territory and outside of the territory for our modern architectural designs that are in the landscape, especially on St. Croix,” Jackson said. “So, Gerville has left a significant contribution to our built environment, to our cultural heritage.”
As a native son who deeply loved his island home, Jackson said Larsen had much to give, stressing that he was giving.
“It’s a tremendous loss to the cultural community as well as the architectural community, in losing such a great soul,” he said.
Collette Woodson Burgess, chair of the St. Croix Historic Preservation Committee, served with Larsen on the committee. She pointed out that he loved the Virgin Islands and was a stickler for historic preservation. She said he was a warehouse of information, noting that he was working on projects related to the preservation of historic properties.
“He’s going to be very, very much missed,” she said. “He was a really valuable part of the board.”
Governor Albert Bryan Jr., in a statement, also spoke of Larsen’s love for the territory while extending condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and the many students and artisans he inspired.
“Gerville loved the Virgin Islands in deed, not just in word,” Bryan stated. “He guarded our past with a craftsman’s care and designed our future with an artist’s eye. His work ranged from safeguarding historic streetscapes to mentoring the next generation of designers. He stitched culture, history, and community into places we all recognize and cherish.”
Bryan noted that he had the privilege of working with Larsen recently as they walked through Christiansted town, “talking through the stories held in those historic buildings and trading ideas for revitalization that respects their soul.”
“Watching him move from facade to facade, naming details most of us overlook and connecting them to our larger cultural narrative, was inspiring,” Bryan stated. “His knowledge was deep, his passion contagious, and his commitment unwavering. I am grateful for that time together and for the clarity he brought to how we honor our past while building a stronger future.”
After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Cornell University in 1989, Larsen worked for a year at the international architectural firm KPF before joining the Virgin Islands Department of Public Works as a staff architect from 1991 to 1995, according to his LinkedIn page. He was also a principal from 1993 to 1995 at Chiang & Larsen P.C., an architecture firm that specialized in custom residential and commercial projects in the Virgin Islands. He moved on in 1995 to serve as director of permits for the St. Croix District at the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, a position he held for three years and nine months. He became principal and owner of Taller Larjas in 1999, delivering custom designs to the family-run firm’s clients for 26 years.
Throughout his career, Larsen received honors and awards in the fields of art and architecture, according to his Taller Larjas biography. His architecture firm also housed his art studio and a fine art gallery. His works have been selected to represent the Virgin Islands in several art biennials in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Cuenca, Ecuador.
Larsen believed that “art is a vehicle of personal expression providing insight into the mind of the author,” according to his bio.
“Within my work, buried in the canvas through pigment and strokes, images are captured, typically representing a personal experience that may be positive, negative, exhilarating, or frustrating,” Larsen stated. “The interpretation of my work is solely left to the individual’s perception, which allows each piece to retain its own vivacity in expressing an experience and consequently makes these images continue to live in the mind and psyche of each new viewer it engages.”
In addition to being a member of the St. Croix Historic Preservation Committee, Larsen was a VI Registered Architect and a member of the American Institute of Architects. He was the Virgin Islands advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation based in Washington, D.C. He was a member and former vice chair of the Centennial Commission of the Virgin Islands, and a former chair of the St. Croix Landmarks Society.
