Estate Rose Hill
Rose Hill & Pleasant Vale is estate 17 in St. Croix’s Northside A Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 19th century. This windmill was only represented on the 1856 Parsons map. The windmill was likely reduced to a foundation shortly after decommissioning based on the representation on 20th-century topographic maps.
Historic maps show no occupation through the 1750s in the as yet unnumbered estate 17. The 1766 copies of Beck indicate an animal mill in the as yet unnumbered estate 17, with the annotated and manuscript copies showing it in the southern portion of estate 17. None of the other Beck variants depict sugar machinery.
The 1799 Oxholm map depicts an animal at both Pleasant Vale and Rose hill. The 1856 Parsons map depicts a windmill at Rose Hill with a village but no sugar manufacturing icon to the west at Pleasant Vale. While the 1920 topographic sheet indicates an old mill round, no ruins were indicated on the 1958 or 1982 maps in the area of Pleasant Vale and Rose Hill.
Ownership attributed to Thomas & Seth Smith on all the Beck variants. This ownership transitioned in a small way to Seth Smith in the north and John Smith in the south by 1790.
McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.147 &p.160) notes an old mill-round, between Rose Hill, q.v., and Crequis Road. In the 1920s, the estates noted to be in pasture, guavas, and some cane. Noting that Pleasant Vale was also known as Pleasant Valley or Pleasantvale.
Historic Maps of Rose Hill
