United States purchased the Danish West Indies. The United States Navy also established a naval station on the island, which was in operation during World War I and World War II. In the middle of the 20th century, most of Hassel Island was owned by the prominent local Paiewonsky family. The Royal Mail Inn, a small hotel located on Hassel Island, built by the Paiewonsky family may have been the hotel immortalized in Herman Wouk's novel Don't Stop the Carnival. The Creque Marine Railway and a signal station at Cowell's Battery were in operation until the 1960s and 1970s, respectively. The southern portion of the island was inscribed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In 1978, the historic district was expanded to cover the remainder of the island as well. In 1978, the Virgin Islands National Park purchased most of the island from the Paiewonsky family. The rest of the island is divided between the territorial government and a few private residences. Since around 2004, the Saint Thomas and Hassel Island Preservation Trust, the Virgin Islands National Park, the Saint Thomas Historical Trust and other organizations have been working to restore and preserve the island's historic sites. There are limited guided kayaking and hiking tours of the island. Hassel Island is also the location for The Real World: St. Thomas, the twenty-seventh season of the reality show The Real World. References External links Virgin Islands National Park: Hassel Island Hasselisland.org — Hassel Island history and preservation organization Seestjohn.com: Hassel Island Stjohnhistoricalsociety.org: St. John Historical Society: Hassel Island chronology Northamericanforts.com St. Thomas Source.com: "Hassel Island's makeover uncovers historical riches" Islands of the United States Virgin Islands Landforms of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands National Register of Historic Places in Virgin Islands National Park Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States Virgin Islands