Estate Mannings Bay

Mannings Bay is estate 49 in St. Croix’s Prince’s Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 1760s. The windmill was likely demolished to make room for new construction associated with the airport. Field reconnaissance failed to locate ruins identifiable as a windmill.

Sugar cultivation came relatively early to estate Mannings Bay, with the 1750 map indicating sugar cultivation and an animal mill. While the printed Beck maps do not include sugar mill icons, the later annotated versions and manuscript copies added a windmill.

The 1799 Oxholm map included a windmill. The 1856 map included a windmill along with two towers without sails on the estate. The 1921 topographic sheet located an old mill tower at elevation 45 feet. However, the later USGS topographic maps indicated no ruins at Manning.

The 1750 map attributed ownership to Lorentz Nissen. All the Beck variant maps from 1766-1791 attribute ownership to William Manning.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.124) note an old mill tower and settlement, 1,800 yards from shore along with a steel-frame windmill.

Historic Maps of Mannings Bay

Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1982 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 49, currently named Mannings Bay.
The 1982 photorevision USGS topographic map shows no ruins at Manning.
Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1958 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 49, currently named Mannings Bay.
The 1958 USGS topographic map shows no ruins at Manning.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 49, currently named Mannings Bay.
The 1921 USCGS topographic sheet shows an old mill tower at elevation 45 feet at Mannings Bay.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 49, currently named Mannings Bay.
The 1907 map identifies an estate at Mannings Bay.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 49, currently named Mannings Bay.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill with structures to the northwest, including a tower without sails and another tower without sails to the south at Manning.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 49, currently named Mannings Bay.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill a little south of the road and hill at Negro Bay.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 49, currently named Mannings Bay.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership to William Manning.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 49, currently named Mannings Bay.
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a settlement but no sugar mill and attributes no ownership in the area of Mannings Bay.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 49, currently named Mannings Bay.
All the annotated Beck maps and manuscript copies of Beck add a hand-drawn windmill, except the 1770 annotated map that only added landowner names; however, the name underlined in red on this map indicates sugar cultivated here. All the maps attribute ownership to William Manning.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 49, currently named Mannings Bay.
Neither Beck printing shows a sugar mill icon in estate 49.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 49, currently named Mannings Bay.