Estate Castle Nugent

Castle Nugent is estate 41 in St. Croix’s East End A Quarter. Castle Nugent’s name does not appear to derive from owners identified on historic maps. The suggestion of a windmill tower only appears on the 1856 Parsons map, with no field evidence found.

Estate Castle Nugent has limited information indicated about it on historic maps, with some level of uncertainty if a sugarcane crushing windmill was ever built there. The northern portion of the estate is where the sugar crushing mill may have been located. The indication of the icon on the Parsons map is the only indication that sugar may have been cultivated at Castle Nugent.

A settlement cultivating provisions appears on the 1750 map. None of the Beck maps, annotated maps, or manuscript copies indicate sugar machinery and attribute ownership to Betraliel Hughes through the 1770s, and then Goodchilds in the 1790s.

The Oxholm map of 1799 uses the name Nugent for this estate with an indication of cotton cultivation. The 1856 Parsons map shows what appears to be a decommissioned windmill tower, similar to the icon at neighboring Fareham, and additional structures to the south at Castle Nugent in approximately the same location where Oxholm located a structure.

While the US topographic maps identify structures in the location where Oxholm and Parsons identified them, none of them are demarcated as ruins or as windmills. Field reconnaissance found no evidence of a windmill built on this site.

The McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.51& p. 138) under the entry Nugent notes the estate house ½ mile from the shore.

Historic Maps of Castle Nugent

Snippets of the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 41, currently named Castle Nugent.
The 1958 USGS map and 1982 photorevision show some structures but no ruins or indication of a mill at Nugent.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 41, currently named Castle Nugent.
The 1919 USGS topographic map shows a number of structures at Castle Nugent. None of these structures are round like you might expect a windmill and none are noted as ruins or a mill.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 41, currently named Castle Nugent.
The 1907 map indicates a circle at Castle Nugent.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 41, currently named Castle Nugent.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a tower with no sails and structures to the south and west of it at Castle Nugent.
Snippets of the Oxholm map of 1799 and 1820 revision featuring East End A Quarter estate # 41, currently named Castle Nugent.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a structure with the icon for a cotton plantation at Nugent. The 1820 updates to Oxholm included the identical information as the original map.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 41, currently named Castle Nugent.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a structure with the icon for a cotton plantation at Nugent.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 41, currently named Castle Nugent.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen both attribute ownership to Goodchilds.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 41, currently named Castle Nugent.
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a settlement in the area of Castle Nugent without ownership attributed to Hugs (whose name was a misspelling of Hughes or was popularly considered very affectionate).
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps made from 1766 to 1770 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 41, currently named Castle Nugent.
The five annotated Beck maps dated 1766, 1767, c.1767, and 1770 along with the two 1766 manuscript copies of Beck indicate no structures at Castle Nugent. All of these maps attribute ownership to Betraliel Hughes, with various spellings. For the 1770 annotation, the name not underlined in red indicates this estate was not planted in sugar.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 41, currently named Castle Nugent.
The Beck printings with data from 1752 and c.1755 show no structures in Castle Nugent.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 41, currently named Castle Nugent.
The Cronenberg and von Jægersberg map of 1750 indicates several structures, cotton cultivation and attributes property ownership to Fredchoffi.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 41, currently named Castle Nugent.
During the French period, no settlement is indicated near Castle Nugent.