Estate Hard Labor

Hard Labor is estate 5 in St. Croix’s Prince’s Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 19th century but did not appear on any historic maps. The windmill tower is in good condition.

Sugar cultivation appears to have arrived late at Hard Labor. The first sugar mill icon appears as an animal mill on the 1799 Oxholm map. The 1920 topographic sheet includes the Hard Labour Mill. The 1856 Parson map and USGS topographic maps make no indications of any structures at Hard Labour.

The mill perched several hundred feet above the valley below has unique attributes. One is an east-facing juice trough, going straight down the hill, and another is its cylindrical rather than conical appearance.

In 1750, ownership attributed to Reimert Haagensen. By 1766 and remaining so through 1791, ownership attributed to Coopers.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.92) notes mill 150 yards west [of house] and 260 feet higher, on sharp spur of hills.

Photos of Hard Labor, 2020s

Windmill tower on a hill with houses, the airport, and Caribbean Sea in the background.
Hard Labor windmill exterior from the north from a distance. This windmill sits in a remote location.
Near vertical mill tower bordered by vegetation
Hard Labor mill tower from the west featuring the main opening.
Arched opening frames smaller arched opening on the far wall.
The main entrance to the Hard Labor Mill frames the smaller, ground level arched opening that carried the juice trough to the factory in the valley below.
Interior of arched opening
Hard Labor mill facing west from interior, featuring the main entrance.
Arched opening in masonry wall with other structure just outside.
Ground level arched opening of the juice trough opening at the Hard Labor mill with evidence of the juice trough partly buried and heading downhill to the valley below.
Two arched openings connected by masonry wall
Juice trough opening of the Hard Labor mill on the left and the machine slot on the right, from the interior and facing southeast.
Interior wall with narrow opening.
Interior of Hard Labor mill facing south featuring the machine slot opening.
Blue sky and tree bordered by top of masonry wall
Looking skyward from inside Hard Labor mill
Interior masonry wall with beam slots.
Interior of Hard Labor mill with beam slots indicating where work floor had been positioned to service mill machinery.
Windmill tower at the edge of a hilltop, surrounded by bush-covered hills and some houses in the far background.Windmill tower at the edge of a hilltop, surrounded by bush-covered hills and some houses in the far background.
Hard Labor windmill exterior from the north from a distance. This windmill perched at the edge of a ridge has the juice trough opening in the west wall, which would supply cane juice to the sugar works in the valley below.
Windmill tower surrounded by bush-covered hills and some houses in the far background.
Hard Labor windmill exterior from the north from a distance. Bush grows from inside and atop the windmill tower.

Historic Maps of Hard Labor

Snippets of the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 5, currently named Hard Labor.
The 1958 and 1982 photorevision of the USGS topographic map show no indication of ruins at Hard Labour.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 5, currently named Hard Labor.
The 1920 USCGS topographic sheet shows the Hard Labor Mill and other structures to the north at the eastern edge of a ridge at Hard Labour. No structures appear in the valley.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 5, currently named Hard Labor.
The 1907 map identifies an estate at Hard Labour.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 5, currently named Hard Labor.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts no structures at Hard Labour.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 5, currently named Hard Labor.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows an animal mill at hard labour.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 5, currently named Hard Labor.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership to Coopers.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 5, currently named Hard Labor.
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a settlement but no sugar mill and makes no ownership attribution in the area of Hard Labor.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 5, currently named Hard Labor.
None of the annotated Beck maps or manuscript copies include a sugar mill icon in estate 5. All these maps attribute ownership to the heirs of Alexander Cooper. On the 1770 annotated map, the name underlined in red on this map indicates sugar cultivated here.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 5, currently named Hard Labor.
Neither Beck printing shows a sugar mill icon in estate 5.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 5, currently named Hard Labor.
The 1750 map by Cronenberg and von Jægersberg indicates no cultivation in estate 5. Ownership attributed to Reimert Haagensen.