Estate Wills Bay/Sweet Bottom

Wills Bay/ Sweet Bottom is estate 20 in St. Croix’s Northside A Quarter. The windmill was likely built in 1796 based on the date on the inscription stone. This windmill did not appear on any historic maps except the 20th-century topographic maps; the inscription date underlines that Oxholm collected information through 1794 for the map published in 1799. This estate was likely named for the nearby by and the valley between the mill and shore. The windmill is in good condition.

Historic maps show no occupation through the 1750s in the as yet unnumbered estate 20. The Beck variants indicate an animal mill in the southeast corner of the estate except the 1770 and c.1770 annotated maps. The coastline is notably changed on three of the annotated Beck maps, moving the coast southward.

The 1799 Oxholm map depicts an animal mill very close to the shore; uphill from the animal mill is a structure with a winding road coming down from the ridge above. However, none of the historic maps depict a windmill. The 20th-century topographic maps all indicate the ruins identifiable as a windmill at the location where ruins were located in the field.

All of the Beck variants attribute ownership to Robert Stewart except the 1770 and c.1770 annotated maps, which attribute ownership to Peter Heiliger Senior or his heirs. Ownership transitioned to R. Thompson by 1790.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p. 186 & p.199) notes an Old mill on northeast slop of Furnel Ridge.