Estate Rust op Twist

Rust op Twist includes estates 5 & 6 in St. Croix’s Northside B Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 19th century. The windmill has an interesting keystone & remains in good condition. Other ruins are cleared on the site.

Rust op Twist 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. In the 1760s, the annotated Beck maps and manuscript copies of the Beck map indicate an animal mill hand drawn into the map except the 1766 unsigned manuscript copy of Beck and the 1770 annotated Beck map, a map that did not add any sugar machinery to the printed map.

Both the 1799 Oxholm and 1856 Parsons maps indicate a windmill at Rüst op Tvist and Rust op Twist, respectively. The 20th century topographic maps indicate windmill ruins at approximately 100 feet elevation, with the top specified at 130 feet, at Rust op Twist or Rust up Twist, depending on the map.

The 1760s annotated and manuscript copies of the Beck map attribute ownership to Johann Balthazar Uÿtendall while the 1770 annotated map attributes ownership to Johann Balthazar Uÿtendall Baron de Bretton, suggesting that this is one and the same person. The c.1770 annotated Beck map and 1790s manuscript copies of Beck attribute ownership solely to Baron de Bretton.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.161) makes the point that Oldendorp referred to the area as Vitendals Plantage after the first owner in the Danish period Johann Balster Uÿtendall. McGuire notes that Rust op Twist in Dutch means Rest after strife, struggle, or toil.

Information about the steam mill built at Rust op Twist can be found at this website.

Photos of Rust op Twist, 2020s

Rust op Twist windmill opening with stairway used to enter the mill.
Rust op Twist windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. The stairs may have been original.
Rust op Twist main entrance keystone has raised edges in a keystone shape.
Rust op Twist windmill exterior from the west highlighting the main entrance keystone.
Rust op Twist windmill showing some deterioration of the exterior wall, with three areas where rock have fallen off the wall.
Rust op Twist windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the main entrance. Notice the areas of the exterior that have come loose to create some voids in the wall.
Rust op Twist highlights showing the orientation of the juice trough opening through the wall, the main entrance toward the viewer, a bush growing in the mill wall, and the bagasse opening to the right.
Rust op Twist windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the main entrance.
Rust op Twist windmill showing the machine slot facing the viewer and bagasse opening to its left. The stonework above the machine slot opening shows how the upper portions of the opening were filled in after the mill was decommissioned.
Rust op Twist windmill exterior from the south featuring the machine slot.
Rust op Twist windmill to the right with a cluster of 5 people to the left.
Rust op Twist windmill exterior from the southeast featuring the machine slot.
Interior of Rust op Twist windmill showing 3 arched openings with two cars parked outside and a small group of people.
Rust op Twist windmill interior facing southwest featuring the machine slot to the left, bagasse opening in the center, and main entrance to the right. The smooth floor is likely refinished and not original.
A view of the Rust op Twist windmill tower showing the arched juice trough opening and a bit of the machine slot on the other side through the mill. The handrail going up to the mill shown to the right of the tower.
Rust op Twist windmill exterior from the north featuring the juice trough opening. Notice the cut stone block around the arch, indicating this was the original finish for this opening. The recesses below the opening held timbers used to tie off the sails when the mill was not operating.
Interior of Rust op Twist windmill showing a circle of blue sky with fluffy clouds surrounded in the photo with the masonry walls.
Rust op Twist windmill interior looking straight up. Notice how the vertical timber slots and other surfaces have been filled in to make the walls smooth.

Historic Maps of Rust op Twist

Snippets of the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring estates # 5-6, currently named Rust op Twist.
The 1958 and its 1982 photorevision USGS topographic map show ruins identifiable as a windmill at Rust Up Twist.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring estates # 5-6, currently named Rust op Twist.
The 1921 USGS topographic map shows an old mill tower at Rust op Twist with an elevation of the top at 130 feet.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring estates # 5-6, currently named Rust op Twist.
The 1907 map indicates a windmill at Rust op Twist.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring estates # 5-6, currently named Rust op Twist.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill with other structures to the west at Rust op Twist.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring estates # 5-6, currently named Rust op Twist.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill with other structures to the west at Rüst op Tvist. Note the name of the new road Oxholm Way named in honor of the maker of this map.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring estates # 5-6, currently named Rust op Twist.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership to Baron de Brittons.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring estates # 5-6, currently named Rust op Twist.
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a sugar mill at Vitendals Plantation.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring estates # 5-6, currently named Rust op Twist.
The 1766, 1767, and c.1767 annotated Beck Maps and the Zöllner manuscript copy of Beck all depict a hand-drawn animal mill in estate 5, or in the case of the c.1770 map, estate 6. The placement of the animal mill in estate 6 is confounding because plenty of space to add the mill in estate 5 exists on that map. Ownership attribution to Johann Balthazar Uÿtendall appears on the 1766, 1767, and c.1767 annotated Beck maps and both 1766 manuscript copies of Beck. The 1770 annotated map attributes ownership to Johann Balthazar Uÿtendall Baron de Bretton, suggesting that this is one and the same person. The c.1770 annotated map attribute ownership solely to Baron de Bretton.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring estates # 5-6, currently named Rust op Twist.
Neither of the Beck map printings indicates sugar machinery in Rust op Twist estate.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring estates # 5-6, currently named Rust op Twist.
By 1750, no settlement is indicated near Rust op Twist estate.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring estates # 5-6, currently named Rust op Twist.
During the French period, no settlement is indicated near Rust op Twist estate.