Estate Granard

Granard is estate 17 in St. Croix’s Company’s Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 1760s. The windmill has been reduced to a foundation.

Sugar cultivation first appears in estate 17 on the 1766 Beck manuscript copies and 1767 annotated map through the depiction of a windmill. The 1799 Oxholm map and 1856 Parsons map both depict a windmill at Granard. The 1919 topographic sheet depicts ruins that could represent a windmill, although the later topographic maps do not.

The 1750 map attributes ownership to Richard Schmidt. By the mid-1760s, estate 17 was consolidated into a much larger plantation owned by Christopher McEvoy and this ownership remained through the 1791 map.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.85) notes structures in the estate 17 portion of combined ownership and identifies a variety of early owners of individual estates, with McWoy owning estate 17.

Photos of Granard, 2020s

Closeup of remaining wall with mostly rubble showing and a few cut limestone blocks.
Granard windmill foundation from the northwest. Notice the remaining cut stone block that reflects material above it most likely removed to use to construct other buildings.
Closeup of remaining wall with a line of red bricks creating a step up.
Granard windmill exterior from the north featuring the machine slot. The row of bricks reflects the steps that would have led up into the mill.
Grassy area that has small a gradation of a couple of feet separating the windmill from the rest of the landscape.
Granard windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. Notice how the grade rises to create a ramp up to the working floor level from the surrounding grade.
Closeup of remaining wall with mostly rubble showing and a few cut limestone blocks.
Granard windmill foundation from the south featuring the great house in the background. The square recess would have held a timber used to rotate the windmill cap and secure the sails when the mill was not operating.
Closeup of remaining wall with mostly rubble showing and a few cut limestone blocks.
Granard windmill foundation from the east featuring a water tower with another building to the right in the background. Notice the remaining cut stone block that reflects material above it most likely removed to use to construct other buildings.
Rounded low wall of windmill foundation with grassy areas around it.
Granard windmill foundation from the northeast featuring a water tower with another building to the right in the background.

Historic Maps of Granard

Snippets of the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 17, currently named Granard.
The 1958 and 1982 photorevision of the USGS topographic map show no ruins identifiable as a windmill at Granard.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 17, currently named Granard.
The 1919 USCGS topographic sheet shows 2 Steel windmill icons in the southeast quadrant of Granard.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 17, currently named Granard.
The 1907 map identifies an estate at Granard.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 17, currently named Granard.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill at the end of the road with other structures to the west in the center of Granard.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 17, currently named Granard.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill on a plain in the southeast quadrant of Granard.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 17, currently named Granard.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership of estate 17 to Christopher McEvoy.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 17, currently named Granard.
The 1767 Küffner manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts no settlement with no ownership attribution in the area of Granard.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 17, currently named Granard.
The annotated Beck maps and manuscript copies added a windmill in estate 17, with the exception of the 1770 annotated map that only added ownership names and the 1767 annotated map that added a windmill in neighboring estate 18 under the same ownership. Ownership attributed to Christopher McEvoy on all these maps.
Snippet of the c1757 Beck map featuring Company's Quarter estate # 17, currently named Granard.
Neither Beck printing shows a sugar mill icon in estate 17.
Snippet of the 1754 Beck map featuring Company's Quarter estate # 17, currently named Granard.
Neither Beck printing shows a sugar mill icon in estate 17.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 17, currently named Granard.
The 1750 map by Cronenberg and von Jægersberg indicates cotton cultivation in estate 17. Ownership attributed to Richard Schmidt.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 17, currently named Granard.
During the French period, no settlement is indicated near Granard.