Estate Great Pond

Great Pond is estate 47 in St. Croix’s East End A Quarter, deriving its name from the Great Pond to the west. A windmill appears on the 1799 Oxholm map and a decommissioned windmill tower appears on the 1856 Parsons map right on the shoreline. A portion of a windmill tower on the beach suggests shoreline erosion.

The remnants of the sugar industry at Great Pond estate present an interesting case of apparent material change in the landscape of St. Croix. Not only does the water level in the Great Pond change, but the shoreline very well could have changed over the course of two centuries.

In 1750, settlement of estate 38 indicates provision cultivation and cotton cultivation in the south in estate 47. The ownership in the north by Peter Heiliger and Arnand and the widow Hartman in the south combines in the 1760s with ownership attributed to George Biggs through the early 1790s. No sugar manufacturing icons appear on the Beck maps, annotated maps, or manuscript copies.

The Oxholm map of 1799 uses the name great Pond for this estate with an indication of cotton and sugar cultivation, including a windmill. The 1856 Parsons map shows what appears to be a decommissioned windmill tower right on the shoreline, similar to the icon at nearby Castle Nugent and Fareham, and additional structures to the north at Great Pond.

All of the US topographic maps identify a windmill ruin in a location consistent with field findings. However, field reconnaissance found a portion of the windmill on the beach. The evident coastline erosion in this area resulted in the collapse of the windmill tower at the edge of the beach. The 1920s USCGS topographic survey also indicated a windmill north of the Great Pond.

The McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p. 87) notes the mill and house 50 yards from the shore. Residential structures do persist in the area based on historic structures.

Photos of Great Pond, 2020s

Portion of Great Pond windmill on the beach as seen from the bank.
Portion of Great Pond windmill on the beach as seen from the bank. This section likely turned upside down when the mill cone collapsed.
Side view of mill section highlighting Great Pond windmill construction material.
Notice the construction of the Great Pond windmill, with long stones creating the interior and exterior facing of the windmill with a small amount of rubble fill in between.
Highlight of the interior side of the Great Pond windmill section.
Notice the curvature of the Great Pond windmill section, indicating this was a large structure. The side toward the viewer is the inside of the mill.
Highlight of the exterior side of the Great Pond windmill section.
Section of the Great Pond windmill. What faces the viewer is the exterior of the mill. The indentation in the upper middle portion likely was a timber slot. The individuals included in this photo for scale.

Historic Maps of Great Pond

Snippets of the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 47, currently named Great Pond.
The 1958 USGS map and 1982 photorevision show structures at Great Pond with no indication of ruins or a windmill.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 47, currently named Great Pond.
The 1919 USGS topographic map shows the Great Pond Est. Mill icon as either a steel windmill or a stone fanmill with a fan in operation. This location provides relatively consistent information with Oxholm’s 1799 map but inconsistent with Parsons 1856 map. The finding of a piece of what appears to be a windmill on the beach suggests the icon represents a steel windmill that was subsequently dismantled.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 47, currently named Great Pond.
The 1907 map indicates a circle right at the coastline at Great Pond.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 47, currently named Great Pond.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts at Great Pond a tower with no sails right on the coast with no indication of the road to the south. Several structures appear north of the tower. This presentation is consistent with finding a portion of a windmill tower on the beach.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 and 1820 update featuring East End A Quarter estate # 47, currently named Great Pond.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows at great Pond a windmill with three structures to the northeast of it and one to the southwest. The icon for a cotton plantation appears south of the mill. A road south of the mill runs along the coast to the east. 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 # 47, currently named Great Pond.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows at great Pond a windmill with three structures to the northeast of it and one to the southwest. The icon for a cotton plantation appears south of the mill. A road south of the mill runs along the coast to the east.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 47, currently named Great Pond.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen both attribute ownership to Biggs.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 47, currently named Great Pond.
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a settlement in the area of Great Pond with no ownership attribution.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps made from 1766 to 1770 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 47, currently named Great Pond.
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 Great Pond. All of these maps attribute ownership to George Biggs, 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 # 47, currently named Great Pond.
The Beck printings with data from 1752 and c.1755 show no structures in any of the estates associated with Great Pond.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 47, currently named Great Pond.
The Cronenberg and von Jægersberg map of 1750 indicates structures in both estates 38 and 47, with cultivation of provisions in the northern estate 38 attributed as owned by Peter Heiliger and Arnand. The southern estate 47, where a sugarcane crushing windmill was later constructed, indicates cotton cultivation and attributes property ownership to widow Hartman.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 47, currently named Great Pond.
During the French period, no settlement is indicated near Great Pond.