Estate Beeston Hill

Beeston Hill is estate 6 in St. Croix’s Company’s Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 1760s and decommissioned before 1856 based on its absence on the Parsons map. The windmill was incorporated into a dwelling. The windmill tower is in good condition.

Sugar cultivation came early to estate 6, with structures including an animal mill depicted on the 1750 map. The printed Beck maps both included an animal mill, with sails added on most of the annotated and manuscript copies.

The 1778 and 1799 Oxholm maps both depict a windmill, with the 1778 map also including an animal mill and the 1799 map naming the estate Bidsted hill. Both maps locate other structures to the northeast at a short distance. The 1856 Parsons map does not depict a windmill at Beeston Hill but does include a square in the general location of the other structures depicted on the Oxholm maps. All the 20th century topographic maps indicate ruins identifiable as a windmill at Beeston Hill.

The 1750 map attributed no ownership. Ownership attributed to Cornelius Kortright on the annotated Beck maps in the 1760s and early 1770s. By 1778, ownership transitioned to Thomas Cravan and then again to Strode by 1790.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.33) notes the location and extent of Estate Beeston Hill, identifying an estate house on a 330-foot hill. Cornelius Kortrik identified as owner.

Photos of Beeston Hill, 2020s

Room inside the mill with a window on the far wall and several pieces of furniture in the room. A stairway leading upward on the left.
Beeston Hill windmill interior facing east featuring the window.
Interior of the windmill looking through the arched opening that has an arched window and a glass door underneath it. A potted plant sits in the foreground.
Beeston Hill windmill interior facing south featuring the juice trough opening.
Close up of window with an arched top and then partly opened louvers below this.
Beeston Hill windmill interior facing east with a close up of the window.
Windmill tower portion under a blue sky. On the right side is a white wall and roof of a dwelling building attached to the mill.
Beeston Hill windmill exterior from the west with a close up of the dwelling buildings around the mill.
Windmill tower in the background under a blue sky. Trees and other vegetation border the image on the left and in the foreground. A dwelling building on the right with a white roof and arched opening on the right.
Beeston Hill windmill exterior from the west featuring the dwelling buildings around the mill.
Windmill tower behind a couple of palm trees featuring a couple of windows at different levels of the mill, a balcony on the left side, and a building attached to the mill on right side.
Beeston Hill windmill exterior from the northeast featuring the window.
Windmill tower under blue skies with a stairway leading up to the dwelling that rises under the juice trough opening.
Beeston Hill windmill exterior from the south featuring the juice trough opening.

Historic Maps of Beeston Hill

Snippets of the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
The 1958 and 1982 photorevision of the USGS topographic map show ruins identifiable as a windmill at Beeston Hill.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
The 1919 USCGS topographic sheet shows Stone fanmill with no fan icon in the south side of Beeston Hill.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
The 1907 map identifies an estate at Beeston Hill.
Snippet of the inset of the 1856 Parsons map featuring Christiansted featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
The inset of Christiansted from the 1856 Parsons map likewise shows no windmill or tower.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts no windmill or tower at Beeston Hill.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill on a plain to the east of the road with other structures to the northeast in the south side of Bidsted hill.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership of estate 6 to Strode.
Snippet of Oxholm's 1778 map of Christiansted featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
The 1778 Oxholm map shows a windmill at the bottom of a with other structures including an animal mill to the north all in the southeast quadrant of unnamed estate 6. Ownership attributed to Thomas Cravan.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
The 1767 Küffner manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a sugar mill and attributes ownership to Kortrik in the area of Beeston Hill.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
The annotated Beck maps and manuscript copies added sails to the animal mill to depict a windmill, with the exception of the 1770 annotated map that only added ownership names and the c.1767 annotated map that also did not add sails. Ownership attributed to Cornelius Kortright, with various spellings, on all these maps.
Snippet of the c1757 Beck mapfeaturing Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
Both Beck printings show an animal mill icon to the west of the stream in the center of estate 6.
Snippet of the 1754 Beck map featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
Both Beck printings show an animal mill icon to the west of the stream in the center of estate 6.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
The 1750 map by Cronenberg and von Jægersberg indicates sugar cultivation and structures including an animal mill in estate 6. No ownership attributed
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 6, currently named Beeston Hill.
During the French period, ownership in the Beeston Hill area is attributed to Breton.