Estate Betzy’s Jewel
Betzy’s Jewel is estate 12 in St. Croix’s Northside B Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 19th century. However, the existence of this windmill is questionable, because it is only represented on a single historic map. Field reconnaissance failed to locate ruins identifiable as a windmill.
Betzy’s Jewel first indicates an animal mill on the second printing of the Beck map, a feature also found on all of the annotated and manuscript copies of the Beck map and the 1799 Oxholm map. Only the 1856 Parsons map indicates at windmill at Betsy’s Jewel. None of the 20th century topographic maps note any ruins at Betzys Jewell.
Throughout the 1760s, ownership attributed to Jacob Buffron transitions to include Buchon & Boudervin on the 1766 annotated copy of Beck unsigned 1766 manuscript copy of Beck, ownership partially repeated as Bouderhuy on the 1790s manuscript copies of the Beck map. Variations in spelling suggests consistent individual owners between the various maps.
McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.34) notes a mill indicated on old maps in the southeast corner of the estate on the shoulder of a 613-foot hill. However, while the 613-foot hill can be easily located on the 1921 sheet, none of the maps place a mill with this level of specificity.
Historic Maps of Betzy’s Jewel
