Estate Mount Victory

Mount Victory is estate 16 in St. Croix’s Northside A Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 19th century. The windmill was blocked to store water after decommissioning. The windmill is in good condition.

Historic maps show no occupation through the 1750s in estates 16 or 26. The 1766 copies of Beck indicate an animal mill in estate 16, with the annotated and manuscript copies showing it in the northern half of estate 16. None of the other Beck variants depict sugar machinery.

Both the 1799 Oxholm map and 1856 Parsons map depict a windmill. However, Oxholm calls the estate Mount Pleasant and Parsons Mt. Victory.

The 1920 topographic sheet indicates the Victory Mill at an elevation of 712 feet. Going south from the mill is a dotted line, indicating the subterranean trough through which the juice would travel to the other sugar manufacturing buildings in the valley below. Both the 1958 and 1982 USGS topographic maps indicate ruins at Mount Victory in the same hilltop location.

Ownership attributed to Manning Roger or John & Manning Roger for estate 26 and Hendrich Barns for the northern half of estate 16 on the Beck variants. These ownership patterns persisted through 1791.

The 1767 Küffner map notes the place name Maronberg, also acknowledged in the accompanying account of Oldendorp. This name recognizes an area where people who escaped enslavement, also known as maroons, tended to reside.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.132) notes this estate formerly called Mount Pleasant and producing guavas and a little sugar cane in the 1920s. Although buildings noted in hollow southwest of hill, no mention made of windmill on the hilltop.

Photos of Mount Victory, 2020s

Windmill on a ridgeline surrounded by bush. In the foreground is a grassy patch. In the background is blue sky and the Caribbean Sea.
Mount Victory windmill exterior from the south from a distance .
Windmill with turrets on the top.
Mount Victory windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. The turrets on the top were most likely added after the mill was decommissioned.
Windmill with turrets on the top and a small hole in the center of the wall facing the viewer. A grassy area surrounds the mill.
Mount Victory windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the bagasse opening. The irregular opening reflect the partial reopening of the mill after it was blocked to store water.
Closeup of windmill wall with some of the lining stones of the arch and a pipe indicating where the water could be drained after the mill was blocked to store water.
Mount Victory windmill exterior facing north featuring the juice trough opening.
Windmill tower with turrets on the top. The wall has plants growing up the outside of it.
Mount Victory windmill exterior from the east featuring the plaster on the wall.
Windmill tower with turrets on the top. The outline of the machine slot can be identified left of center by the square stones outlining it.
Mount Victory windmill exterior from the north featuring the machine slot.
Semicircle of cloudy sky surrounded by mill wall, on which much of the plaster lining the interior used to help contain water that was stored in the mill after it was decommissioned.
Mount Victory windmill interior looking upward.
Grassy area with a dark arched tunnel in the center, with some stones in the foreground.
Mount Victory windmill exterior facing south featuring the juice trough tunnel going down to the boiling house down the hill.

Historic Maps of Mount Victory

Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1982 featuring Northside A quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
The 1982 USGS topographic map shows ruins identifiable as a windmill at Mount Victory.
Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1958 featuring Northside A quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
The 1958 USGS topographic map shows ruins identifiable as a windmill at Mount Victory.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
The 1920 USCGS topographic map shows the Victory Mill at an elevation of 712 feet with structures to the south and a line connecting the mill and the factory.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
The 1907 map indicates a windmill at Mt. Victory.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill with other structures to the south at Nicholas.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 and the copy by Lang of 1820 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
Oxholm’s 1799 map and its 1820 revision show a windmill at Mount Pleasant. The vertical line on the 1799 snippet reflects a paper fold on the map original.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Northside A quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill at Mount Pleasant. The vertical line on the 1799 snippet reflects a paper fold on the map original.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen, respectively, attribute ownership to John Rogers, with a mention of Barns on Mühlenfels.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts an animal mill in the area of Mount Victory, an attribution indicating a settlement of runaway slaves.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
The 1766 annotated Beck map and both manuscript copies of Beck show a hand-drawn animal mill in estate 16. None of the other annotated and manuscript copies of the Beck map show sugar manufacturing icons estates 26 or 16. All attribute ownership of estate 26 to either Manning Roger by himself or together with John Roger. For estate 16, the northern half is attributed ownership to Henry except the c.1770 annotated Beck map that attributes ownership to John and Manning Roger.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
Neither of the Beck printings depict any sugar machinery.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
The 1750 map indicates no cultivation and attributes no ownership.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 16, currently named Mount Victory.
During the French period, no settlement is indicated near Mount Victory.