Estate Paradise and Downings

Paradise and Downings is estate 45 in St. Croix’s Prince’s Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the late 18th century. The windmill tower is in good condition.

While the 1750 map indicates sugar cultivation, none of the Beck variants included a sugar mill icon. The 1799 Oxholm map and the 1856 Parsons map included a windmill at Paradise. All the 20th century topographic maps include ruins identifiable as a windmill.

The 1750 map attributed ownership to Joseph Johns, likely a spelling variant of Jones. The annotated Beck maps and manuscript copies through the 1770s attribute ownership Joseph Jones’ heirs for estate 44 and the western half of estate 45, with the eastern half to either John Willet or Robert Stewart. By 1790 ownership transitioned to Daly.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.143) notes a mill on southern foot of Mount Pleasant. In the 1920s, the estate was chiefly in sugar cane.

Photos of Paradise and Downings, 2020s

Arched machine slot opening looking out onto an apartment beyond.
Paradise and Downings windmill interior facing north featuring the machine slot. Notice how the cut stones in the wall are different sizes but still aligned to make regular rows. Some of the stones lining the arch were removed.
Arched window through which some buildings and distant hills appear.
Paradise and Downings windmill interior facing east with a closeup of the window. The larger interior size than the exterior facilitated breezes entering the windmill.
Interior of windmill with hearth having an arched top. The flue goes up to the left.
Paradise and Downings windmill interior facing northeast with a close up of the hearth. Light produced here would facilitate working at night.
Interior of windmill from which the window presents a view of the hills beyond and the juice trough opening a view of the Caribbean Sea.
Paradise and Downings windmill interior facing northeast featuring the hearth on the left, window in the center, and juice trough opening to the right. The smooth concrete floor was part of incorporating the mill into the green space of the residential area. Notice the slots in a horizontal line above the window that would have supported the intermediate work floor.
Windmill tower with steps leading up to both the main entrance and bagasse opening.
Paradise and Downings windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the main entrance to the left, through which the machine slot is visible, and the bagasse opening, through which the window is visible. Notice the red plaster coating on the arch over the bagasse opening to accentuate its appearance.
Windmill tower under a blue sky in full late afternoon sun. Concrete patio in the foreground.
Paradise and Downings windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance with the window visible through it and the bagasse opening to the right. Notice the regular appearance of the exterior with the cut stone block, even accentuating the openings.
Windmill tower with arched openings visible to the left and right. View of the airport and Caribbean Sea in the distance.
Paradise and Downings windmill exterior from the northwest featuring the main entrance, through which the juice trough opening is visible. The concrete steps leading into the main entrance and patio are not original.
Windmill tower in the last rays of the afternoon sun under blue skies. A tan tan tree grows on the left side of the image. The hill on which the mill is built drops quite a bit from left to right.
Paradise and Downings windmill exterior from the south featuring the juice trough opening. The material blocking part of the opening is not original. Notice the red plaster accentuating the opening. The slope of the hill underlines how the mill was built on the windward side of the hill.
Bottom half of windmill tower with substantial foundation. Difference in grade, with the high point behind the mill, underlines how the mill was built on the windward side of a hill.
Paradise and Downings windmill exterior from the southeast featuring the window. Notice how the exterior of the window is square while the interior is arched. The recess below the window would have held a timber used to anchor ropes tying down the sails when the windmill was not operating.
Windmill tower silhouetted against the late afternoon sun. One square window seen in the tower along with the machine slot to the extreme right. A short flight of concrete stairs on the right leads to grass in the foreground.
Paradise and Downings windmill exterior from the northeast featuring the window. Notice how the exterior of the window is square while the interior is arched. The recess below the window would have held a timber used to anchor ropes tying down the sails when the windmill was not operating.
Windmill tower with the machine slot in the center of the image, through which the juice trough opening can be seen. Concrete walkway in the foreground provides access to the 3 steps up to the interior mill floor through the machine slot.
Paradise and Downings windmill exterior from the north featuring the machine slot. Material around the opening appears to be worn differently than the rest of the windmill exterior. As well, the eastern face of the mill is far darker than the western face. The small indentation at the top of the mill to the right of the machine slot is the exit of the flue from the hearth inside the mill.
Looking out through two arched openings. With the removal of material around the openings, the amount of wall in between the two openings appears fairly small.
Paradise and Downings windmill interior facing west featuring the bagasse opening on the left and the machine slot on the right. Notice the removal of material around the openings.
Circle of blue sky framed by the interior wall of the windmill tower.
Paradise and Downings windmill interior looking upward. Some of the vertical slots that once held timbers have been filled in partially or completely.

Historic Maps of Paradise and Downings

Snippets of the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
The 1958 and 1982 photorevision of the USGS topographic map show no ruins and no structures identifiable as a windmill in the area of estate 44.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1921 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
The 1921 USCGS topographic sheet indicates the Paradise Mill partway up the hill. Paradise and Downings is one of a handful of estates depicted on two different sheets in this topographic map series.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
The 1920 USCGS topographic sheet indicates the Paradise Mill partway up the hill.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
The 1907 map indicates no settlement at estate 44.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts no structures in the area of estate 44.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill in estate #45 at Paradise.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership to Daly.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a sugar mill and attributes no ownership in the area of Paradise and Downings.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
The annotated Beck maps and manuscript copies retain the printed animal mill. These maps attribute ownership to Joseph Jones’ heirs, with some spelling variation.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
Both Beck printings show an animal mill in the eastern side of estate 44.
Snippet of the c1757 Beck map featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
Both Beck printings show an animal mill in the eastern side of estate 44.
Snippet of the 1754 Beck map featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
Both Beck printings show an animal mill in the eastern side of estate 44.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Prince's Quarter estate # 44, currently named Paradise and Downings.
The 1750 map by Cronenberg and von Jægersberg indicates sugar cultivation and structures but no animal mill in estate 44. Ownership attributed to Joseph Johns.