Estate Diamond

Diamond is estate 38 in St. Croix’s Prince’s Quarter. On an early version of a Beck map, a windmill was depicted in estate 43 and this is believed to be an error. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the late 18th century. The windmill was blocked to store water after decommissioning. The inscription plaque says the mill was built in the 1790s and blocked to store water in the early 1900s. The windmill tower is partly collapsed.

The 1750 map shows sugar cultivated here relatively early in the Danish period, including processing by an animal mill. The animal mill remains a consistent feature on the Beck maps and variants, just southeast of center along a stream.

The 1799 Oxholm map indicates a windmill at the southern edge of the estate, as does the 1856 Parsons map. The 20th century topographic maps all include ruins identifiable as a windmill in an analogous location.

The specifics of this location remain important because the first printed Beck map places a windmill in the northwest corner of estate 43, just south of the location where the windmill at Diamond was built. Quite possibly, the location depicted on the Beck map was made in error, especially since the ownership of estates 38 and 43 were both by Constantin.

In 1750, ownership attributed to the Widow Markue. By 1766, the annotated Beck maps attribute ownership to Constantine’s widow and heirs, and then in 1770 just to Constantin. By 1790, ownership transitioned to Rapzaat Heyliger.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.65) locates the mill on a 100-foot swell while noting the estate remained in sugar cane in the 1920s. Notes the combination of estates 38, 39, and 43.