Estate Annaly

Annaly is estate 18 in St. Croix’s Northside A Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the late 18th century. Reinforcing this, an inscription stone notes Ed 1803. The windmill was incorporated into a dwelling, likely before 1958 based on the absence of ruins on the topographic map. The windmill is in good condition.

Historic maps show no occupation through the 1750s in the as yet unnumbered estate 18. The 1799 Oxholm and 1856 Parsons maps both locate a windmill at Annally.

The 1920 topographic sheet shows a Mill at Annaly with other structures in the area. However, the 1958 and 1982 topographic maps do not show any ruins identifiable as a windmill, likely the result of the conversion of the windmill into a dwelling in 1946.

Ownership attributed for the as yet unnumbered estate 18 and estate 7 to the south of it to Nicolay Tuite on all the Beck variants. Ownership transitioned to Ferrals heirs by 1790.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (pp.26-27) notes that “ly” means shelter in Danish, suggesting the name translates to Anna’s lee, or shelter.

Photos of Annaly, 2020s

Windmill tower in the center of the image with hills beyond. Vegetation and walk up to mill in foreground.
Annaly windmill exterior from the west from a distance main entrance. Other parts of the dwelling built in the 20th century also visible to the left.
Windmill with a staircase leading up to it.
Annaly windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. The stairs were likely part of the incorporation of the mill into a dwelling.
Windmill on an elevated platform at the end of a long walk.
Annaly windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. The gutter running along the walk likely was the juice trough used to transport the cane juice down the hill to the boiling house.
Closeup of oval inscription stone above the main entrance.
Annaly windmill exterior from the west featuring the inscription stone. The inscription provides a build date noting Ed 1803 AD.
Mill tower obscured by vegetation. Arched opening with balcony and another opening behind bright green doors below it in the center of the image.
Annaly windmill exterior from the south featuring the juice trough opening. Below the balcony is an opening to a basement of the mill.
Mill tower with square window in the upper center and two arched openings on either side of the image lower on the tower.
Annaly windmill exterior from the southeast featuring the full extent of the mill wall. Notice the difference in the finish across the mill exterior.
Mill tower with two square windows in the upper reaches and arched opening with balcony in the center. More recent structures on right built when the mill was converted to a dwelling.
Annaly windmill exterior from the east featuring the window.
Windmill tower elevated on its foundation and approximately 8-foot high retaining wall in the foreground that underlines how much masonry was built to elevate the mill.
Annaly windmill exterior from the east featuring the window. The retaining wall in the foreground was likely in place when the mill was in operation based on the weathering visible.
Mill tower with two square windows in the upper reaches and arched opening in the center. Retaining wall in the foreground.
Annaly windmill exterior from the east featuring the window.
Mill tower with two square windows in the upper reaches and rectangular louvered window in the center. White drain pipe coming from near the top of the mill and running down the left side of the tower contrasts with the far darker windmill tower.
Annaly windmill exterior from the north featuring the machine slot. The filling in of some of the machine slot can be seen, with the louvered window in the center of the machine slot. Annaly windmill exterior from the north featuring the machine slot. The filling in of some of the machine slot can be seen, with the louvered window in the center of the machine slot.
Windmill from a distance with steam machinery, including a boiler, in the foreground amongst collapsed stone walls around it.
Annaly windmill exterior from the southeast from a distance with the window that has turned into a balcony. Steam machinery and collapsed stone walls in the foreground.
Horizontal 3-roller mill and large gear wheel.
Machinery for the Annaly steam mill in the factory area, down the hill from the windmill.

Historic Maps of Annaly

Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1982 featuring Northside A quarter estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
The 1982 USGS topographic map shows no ruins identifiable as a windmill at Annaly.
Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1958 featuring Northside A quarter estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
The 1958 USGS topographic map shows no ruins identifiable as a windmill at Annaly, likely indicative of the conversion of the windmill into a dwelling in 1946, before the creation of the 1958 map.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
The 1920 USCGS topographic map shows a Mill at Annaly with structures to the west and east.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Northside A estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
The 1907 map indicates a windmill at Annally.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill with other structures to the east and west at Annally.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 and the copy by Lang of 1820 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
Oxholm’s 1799 map and its 1820 revision show a windmill at Annally.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Northside A quarter estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill at Annally.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen, respectively, attribute ownership to Ferrals heirs.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a settlement in the area of Annaly with ownership attributed to Tuite.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
None of the annotated and manuscript copies of the Beck map show an animal mill in estate 7 plus what became estate 18. All attribute ownership to Nicolay Tuite.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
Neither of the Beck printings depict any sugar machinery.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
The 1750 map indicates no cultivation and attributes no ownership.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 18, currently named Annaly.
During the French period, no settlement is indicated near Annaly.