Estate Fair Plain (Bethlehem Middle Works)

Fair Plain (Bethlehem Middle Works) was built in estates 33b-34 in St. Croix’s King’s Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 1770s and decommissioned before 1794. This location is the only example on the 1799 Oxholm map of a windmill tower without sails. The windmill has been reduced to a foundation.

Each of the areas for sugar manufacturing in the sprawling Bethlehem plantation, which included all or part of 10 estates, receives separate examination here. Bethlehem New Works became a substantial settlement in the southern portion of estate 25 in King’s Quarter.

None of the early maps included any sugar manufacturing icons, including the 1750 map and all the Beck variants. The 1779 plan of the Bethlehem plantation includes a windmill at Bay Works.

The 1799 Oxholm map included a tower without sails at fair plane, the only such tower on his map. The 1856 Parsons map noted the Fair Plane ruin without depicting a tower. The 1921 topographic sheet identified an old mill tower while the later 20th century topographic maps did not identify any ruins.

The 1750 map attributed ownership to Joseph Woodchett. While the 1766 annotated Beck map and Zöllner manuscript copy were silent on ownership, the 1767, c.1767, and c.1770 annotated Beck maps along with the unsigned manuscript copy all attribute owner to John de Windt as part of the Bethlehem estate. The 1770 annotated Beck map attributed ownership to Governor Johannes Heiliger. The 1790 and 1791 maps attributed ownership to John Jacob de Windt.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (pp.34 & 73) notes that the Bethlehem plantation included and estates 15, 16, 25,26, and 34 along with the western half of the neighboring estates 14, 17, 24, 27, and 33. As part of this plantation, the area known as Fair Plane or Fairplain included the ruins of a residence and old mill tower.

Photos of Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works), 2020s

Closeup of rubble wall with a square recess in the center of the image.
Clifton Hill windmill exterior from the north with a close up of one of the timber slots. This recess held a timber that used to anchor ropes securing the sails when the windmill was not in operation.
Closeup of curved rubble wall with cut limestone blocks at the bottom of it.
Clifton Hill windmill exterior from the north with a close up of the construction material. The two rows of cut stone block at the bottom suggest what material has been removed above it, revealing the rubble interior of the windmill foundation.
Vegetation-covered foundation of windmill without much of any tower walls visible. Rubble materials sits atop a couple of rows of cut stone block.
Clifton Hill windmill exterior from the north featuring the machine slot. Some of the stairs leading up to the work floor evident in the lower portion of the image.
Vegetation-covered foundation of windmill without much of any tower walls visible. Rubble material in the shape and size of a windmill visible.
Clifton Hill windmill exterior from the west.

Historic Maps of Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works)

Snippets of the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
The 1958 & 1982 photorevision of the USGS topographic map show no ruins in the area of Fair Plane.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
The 1921 USGS topographic map shows ruins including an old mill tower in the area of Fair Plane.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
The 1907 map indicates no settlement in the area of Fair Plane.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts ruins but nothing identifiable as a windmill at Fair Plane.
Snippets of the Oxholm map of 1799 and the copy by Lang of 1820 featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
Oxholm’s 1799 map and the 1820 revision show a decommission windmill tower and another structure at fair plane.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a decommission windmill tower and another structure at fair plane.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership to John Jacob de Windt.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a settlement near Fair Plane with an ownership attribution to Heiliger.
Snippets of the annotated Beck maps made in 1766 to 1770 and the 1766 unsigned manuscript copy featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
The 1767, c.1767, and c.1770 Beck annotated maps along with the unsigned manuscript copy do not include a sugar manufacturing icon in estate 34. All attribute ownership to John de Windt.
Snippets of the 1766 and 1767 annotated Beck maps plus the Zöllner manuscript copy of 1766 featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
The 1766 and 1770 annotated Beck maps and Zöllner manuscript copy add no sugar manufacturing icons. Based on the hand-colored tinting, ownership on these map attributed to Governor Johannes Heyliger or his heirs.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
Neither of the Beck printings indicated sugar manufacturing machinery in estate 34.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
The 1750 map indicates no cultivation at estate 34. Ownership attributed to Joseph Woodchett.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring King's Quarter estates # 33b-34, currently named Fair Plane (Bethlehem Middle Works).
During the French period, no settlement is indicated near Fair Plane.