Estate Orange Grove

Orange Grove is estate 3 in St. Croix’s Company’s Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 1760s. The windmill was incorporated into a dwelling. The windmill tower is in good condition.

Sugar cultivation came early to estate 3, with structures including an animal mill depicted on the 1750 map. Both Beck printings depicted an animal mill in estate 3. The annotated Beck maps added sails to the animal mill to depict a windmill.

The 1778 and 1799 Oxholm maps depict a windmill at Orange Grove. The 1856 Parsons map omits a windmill or tower on the main map at Orange Grove but includes a windmill on the inset of Christiansted. All the 20th century topographic maps depict ruins identifiable as a windmill.

The 1750 map attributes ownership to James Royte. Between 1766 and 1770, ownership shifted between Thomas Callamap’s heirs, John Suple and his widow, and Callanon. Ownership remained with Christopher McEvoy on the 1778 Oxholm map and 1790 and 1791 Beck manuscript copies.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.140) notes the location and early owner Suple.

Photos of Orange Grove, Company’s Quarter, 2020s

Windmill tower backed by a blue sky. Palm tree near the tower with bushes around the mill and grass in the foreground.
Orange Grove windmill exterior from the southeast from a distance illustrates how the grade falls away from the mill to the east.
Windmill tower largely fills the image, with vegetation obscuring the tower in the foreground and palm tree to the right. The machine slot on the left side of the tower has a metal gate blocking it.
Orange Grove windmill exterior from the southeast featuring the machine slot. Note the pink material on the top of the mill, which is plaster covering the wall to resist entry of moisture into the tower wall.
Interior windmill wall with beige and pink-tinted stones form a regular horizontal pattern. This pattern breaks down at the bottom of the wall where material seems broken away from what would have been the original work floor.
Orange Grove windmill interior facing east featuring how the original floor appears to have been removed.
Two arched openings from the interior looking out onto vegetation beyond. Both openings are lined with cut stone block.
Orange Grove windmill interior facing west featuring the bagasse opening on the left main entrance in the center. The metal gates are not original to the mill. Note the beam slots above the openings that would have supported the intermediate work floor.
Circle of blue sky surrounded by the mill wall. Vertical slots for timber supports have been filled in. A broken beam reaches partway across image, while a new beam at the top of the mill reaches all the way across the opening.
Orange Grove windmill interior looking upward. The construction of the wall is from cut stone blocks, even if they are not all the same size. Notice how the vertical slots have been filled in, clear evidence the tower stands at it original height.
Two narrow arched openings, the left one tall and right one shorter. Both openings are blocked with modern metal gates.
Orange Grove windmill interior facing south featuring the machine slot on the left and bagasse opening on the right. Notice the wood block at the top of the machine slot arch, likely to minimize damage if machinery bumped it while being changed during mill maintenance.
Lower half of a windmill tower with large main entrance in the center of the image.
Orange Grove windmill exterior from the west with a close up of the main entrance. Noticed the raised trim of the cut stone block surrounding the entrance. The bagasse opening is to the right, partly obscured by the vegetation.
Windmill tower set against a blue sky.
Orange Grove windmill exterior from the east featuring the machine slot. The cut stone block used for facing creates regular patterns in the construction, despite the fact the stones are of different sizes.
Windmill tower set against a blue sky.
Orange Grove windmill exterior from the south featuring the machine slot. This mill tower is decorated with 3 raised horizontal bands, one at the work floor level, one about 2/3 of the way up, and at the very top of the rim.
Windmill tower set against a blue sky. Drained swimming pool in the foreground.
Orange Grove windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the bagasse opening on the left and machine slot on the right.
Windmill tower set against a partly cloudy sky. A tree grows to the right of the mill and stone walls border the walk to the mill entrance.
Orange Grove windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. The vent fan opening and stone wall to the entrance are not original.

Historic Maps of Orange Grove, Company’s Quarter

Snippets of the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
he 1958 and 1982 photorevision of the USGS topographic map show ruins identifiable as a windmill at Orange Grove.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1919 USCGS topographic sheet shows Orange Grove Mill on the east side of Orange Grove.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1907 map identifies an estate at Orange Grove.
Snippet of the inset of the 1856 Parsons map featuring Christiansted featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
The inset of Christiansted from the 1856 Parsons map depicts a windmill at elevation 110 feet.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts no windmill or tower at Orange Grove.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill at the bottom of a hill to the south of the road in the east side of Orange Grove.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership of estate 3 to McEvoy.
Snippet of Oxholm's 1778 map of Christiansted featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1778 Oxholm map shows a windmill at the bottom of a hill south of the road with other structures to the southeast, all in the east edge of Orange Grove. Ownership attributed to Christopher MacEvoy.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1767 Küffner manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a sugar mill and attributes ownership to Suple in the area of Orange Grove.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
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. Ownership attributed to three different individuals, with the 1766 annotated map and both 1766 manuscript copies attributing ownership to Thomas Callamap heirs, with various spellings. The 1767, c.1767, and c. 1770 annotated maps attribute ownership to John Suple or his widow. The 1770 annotated map attribute ownership to Collanon.
Snippet of the c1757 Beck map featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
Both Beck printings show an animal mill icon to the south of the road in the southeast quadrant of estate 3. Note the estate number is not in the upper right corner but along the dotted line running down the center of the estate.
Snippet of the 1754 Beck map featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
Both Beck printings show an animal mill icon to the south of the road in the southeast quadrant of estate 3. Note the estate number is not in the upper right corner but along the dotted line running down the center of the estate.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1750 map by Cronenberg and von Jægersberg indicates sugar cultivation and structures including an animal mill in estate 3. Ownership attributed to James Royte.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring Company's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Orange Grove.
During the French period, ownership in the Orange Grove area is attributed to Courturier.