Estate Cane Bay

Cane Bay includes estates 26, 27, & 28 in St. Croix’s Northside B Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 19th century. An inscription stone indicates a construction date of 1820. The windmill is in good condition. Cane Bay estate was likely named for its proximity to Cane Bay.

Cane Bay indicates how locations near the north shore in Northside B quarter provided earlier access for sugar cultivation compared to more elevated locations. No settlement is indicated through the 1750s. An animal mill first appears on the second Beck printing, which appears on all the annotated maps using this base map. On the 1766 map that uses the first printing of the Beck map, an animal mill appears hand drawn.

The 1799 Oxholm depicts an animal mill, while the 1856 Parsons maps indicates a windmill at Cane Bay. The 1921 topographic map indicates windmill ruins at 59 feet elevation, with the top specified at 85 feet, at Cane Bay.

The 1760s annotated Beck maps all attribute ownership to Cornelius Hendricksen and the 1790s manuscript copies of Beck attribute ownership to Hendricksen. The 1766 unsigned manuscript copy of Beck attributes ownership to Thomas Kirvan.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.47) notes the transposition of Great Cane Bay by estate La Vallee to the east with Little Cane Bay in what is now Cane Bay. Mentions the later merger with estates Northstar and Prosperity.

Photos of Cane Bay, 2020s

Cane Bay windmill exterior from the northwest featuring the main entrance.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the northwest featuring the main entrance.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. Note how the grade slopes north, to the left, toward the boiling house past the animal mill.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. The rim of raised stones around the top of the mill indicates the mill has not collapsed.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the west featuring the inscription stone over main entrance with the date 1820.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the west featuring the inscription stone over main entrance with the date 1820. This could indicate a construction date, since a windmill does not appear on the 1799 Oxholm map.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the south featuring the machine slot.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the south featuring the machine slot.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the east featuring the juice trough opening.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the east featuring the juice trough opening. Note how the wall was blocked up with mismatching material.
Cane Bay windmill interior facing east featuring the juice trough opening.
Cane Bay windmill interior facing east featuring the hearth, window, and below is a juice trough opening.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the east featuring the juice trough opening.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the north, on the east side of the mill, featuring the juice trough opening.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the northeast featuring the juice trough opening.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the northeast featuring the juice trough opening. Notice the small bit of collapse at the top of the mill over this opening.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the north featuring the juice trough opening.
Cane Bay windmill exterior from the north featuring the juice trough opening. This opening was not always used for the juice trough, which also has an opening under the window on the mill’s west wall.
Cane Bay windmill interior facing north featuring the juice trough opening.
Cane Bay windmill interior facing north featuring the juice trough opening.

Historic Maps of Cane Bay

Snippets of the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring estates # 26-27-28, currently named Cane Bay.
The 1958 and its 1982 photorevision USGS topographic map show no ruins identifiable as a windmill at Canebay.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring estates # 26-27-28, currently named Cane Bay.
The 1921 USGS topographic map shows an old mill tower at Cane Bay with an elevation at the base of 59 feet and at the top of 85 feet.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring estates # 26-27-28, currently named Cane Bay.
The 1907 map indicates a windmill at Cane Bay.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring estates # 26-27-28, currently named Cane Bay.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill just south of the road, with other structures on all other sides at Cane Bay.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring estates # 26-27-28, currently named Cane Bay.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows an animal mill and other structures at Cane bay.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring estates # 26-27-28, currently named Cane Bay.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership to Hendricksen.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring estates # 26-27-28, currently named Cane Bay.
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a settlement but not a sugar mill.
Snippets of both manuscript copies of Beck made in 1766 featuring Northside B quarter estate #26, currently named Cane Bay.
Both manuscript copies of the Beck map include an animal mill in estate 26. The unsigned manuscript copy attributes ownership to Thomas Kirvan while the Zöllner manuscript copy of Beck is too blurry to read the name.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring estates # 26-27-28, currently named Cane Bay.
All 5 annotated Beck maps include an animal mill in estate 26 or 27. All these maps attribute ownership to Cornelius Hendricksen.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring estates # 26-27-28, currently named Cane Bay.
The first Beck map printing indicates no sugar machinery, while the second printing includes an animal mill at Cane Bay estate.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring estates # 26-27-28, currently named Cane Bay.
By 1750, no settlement is indicated near Cane Bay estate.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring estates # 26-27-28, currently named Cane Bay.
During the French period, no settlement is indicated near Cane Bay estate.