Estate Mount Welcome

Mount Welcome in estate 1 in St. Croix’s East End A Quarter likely derives its name from its location near the entrance to Christiansted Harbor. Sugar was produced by the 1760s, with a windmill appearing on Oxholm’s 1799 map and a decommissioned tower on the 1856 map. The windmill tower is in good condition.

Mount Welcome lies in a strategic place near the entrance to Christiansted Harbor. While south of Fort Louise Augusta, a battery is depicted on the north side of the hill during the French period at P. St Jean. This battery appears echoed in the 1767 map by Küffner.

By 1750, Adrian von Beverhout owns the estate, with no cultivation indicated. The Beck printed maps indicate no sugar machinery. However, on nearly all the annotated prints and manuscript copies of Beck, an animal mill appears in estate 2, with ownership attributed to Nicolay Salomon.

In both 1778 and 1799, Oxholm depicts an animal mill, with the later map naming it estate Mount Weliome. The location of the animal mill moves north to estate 1. Given the detail of the Oxholm maps, if the animal mill icons represent the same settlement, the Beck variants are in error. The 1778 map along with the 1790s manuscript copies of Beck indicate ownership by John Heyliger abz.

Parsons indicates a stone tower with no sails in 1856 at Mt Welcome, with a location consistent with Oxholm. The top of the hill bears an elevation of 135 feet.

The US topographical maps indicate a windmill on the southeastern side of Mt Welcome above 100 feet elevation, near the top of the hill. Other structures lie to the northwest, at the very top of the hill. This depiction is consistent with field reconnaissance findings.

The McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p. 132) notes that Mount Welcome is “crowned by stone tower and ruined sugar mill.”

Historic Maps of Mount Welcome

Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1982 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
The 1982 photorevision shows the ruins of a windmill on the southeast side of the Mt. Welcome hill with considerably more structures on the south side of the hill, reflective of the development at Gallows Bay.
Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1958 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
The 1958 USGS map shows the ruins of a windmill on the southeast side of the Mt Welcome hill.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
The 1919 USGS topographic map shows the Mt. Welcome Mill on the south side of the very top of the Mt. Welcome hill. That hilltop indicates an elevation of 125 feet.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
The 1907 map indicates a circle at Mt. Welcome.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a tower with no sails and some structures on top of the hill, which has an elevation of 135 feet, at Mt. Welcome.
Snippet of the inset of the 1856 Parsons map featuring Christiansted featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mt. Welcome.
The inset detail of Christiansted from the 1856 Parsons map also shows a structure at the top of the hill at 135 feet elevation and a windmill tower with no sails to the southeast, just down the hill.
Snippet of the 1820 Lang update of Oxholm featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
The 1820 updates to Oxholm included soundings and navigational aids by Lang. These are seen most evidently in East End A quarter. While not part of the Mount Welcome plantation, this map includes Lang’s observatory in estate 3 along with Navigation sight lines.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows an animal mill south of the hill in estate 1 for Mount Weliome. Some structures sit atop the hill in estate 1. No other structures are depicted in estates 2, 25, and 36 that Oxholm indicates are all part of the same plantation.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen both attribute ownership to John Heyliger.
Snippet of the Oxholm 1778 map of Christiansted featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
Oxholm’s 1778 map of Christiansted shows an animal mill along with several other structures at estate Mt. Welcome. The structures appear to be consistent with ruins known to be on the property. Ownership attributed to John Heyliger abz.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts what appears to be a fort at the tip of the peninsula in estate 1 and a settlement in estate two with ownership attributed to Salomons.
Snippets of the 2 manuscript copies of Beck from 1766 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
The two 1766 manuscript copies of Beck’s map depict an animal mill in estate 2 and attribute ownership to Nicolay Salomon.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps made from 1766 to 1770 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
The five annotated Beck maps dated 1766, 1767, c.1767, and 1770 indicate that Nicolay (or Nicolai) Salomon as the property owner. The first three of the maps indicate an animal mill in estate 2. Each map locates the animal mil in a different position within the estate. For the 1770 annotation, the names underlined in red indicates these estates were planted in sugar.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
The Beck printings with data from 1752 and c.1755 show no structures in any of the estates associated with Mount Welcome.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
The Cronenberg and von Jægersberg map of 1750 indicates no cultivation and attributes property ownership to Adrian von Beverhout.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
During the French period, St. Jean is indicated as a fort in the area of Mount Welcome.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring East End A Quarter estate # 1, currently named Mount Welcome.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows an animal mill south of the hill in estate 1 for Mount Weliome. Some structures sit atop the hill in estate 1. No other structures are depicted in estates 2, 25, and 36 that Oxholm indicates are all part of the same plantation.