Estate Sprat Hall
Sprat Hall is estate 12-13 in St. Croix’s Northside A Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the late 18th century. Sprat Hall was likely named for the near shore Sprat Hole for the fish found there in the past. The windmill is in good condition.
Sprat Hall extends from the shore through a part of estate 13 on St. Croix’s west coast. The 1750 map indicates cultivation of provisions by van der Pool. While neither Beck printing in the 1750s indicates sugar manufacturing icons, the 1766 and 1767 annotated and manuscript copies of Beck all include an animal mill.
The 1799 Oxholm map indicates a windmill a short distance from the coast with a structure to the west, as does the 1856 Parsons map. Each of the 20th-century topographic maps echo the configuration of the structures.
McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.182) measures the Sprat Hall Mill 270 yards east of the coast and suggests the name from a small food fish sprat.
Ownership of estates 12 by William Roger and 13 by Jeremiah Smith appears consistently on the annotated and manuscript copies of Beck. However, the shoreline strip varies on maps between William Dalton in 1766 to Charles Daly in 1767, and Harmon in 1770. By 1790, ownership of estates 12 and 13 transitioned to G. Gordon, including the shoreline strip.
Historic Maps of Sprat Hall
