Estate Barren Spot Limetree
Barren Spot Limetree is estate 20 in St. Croix’s Queen’s Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the late 18th century. Field reconnaissance failed to locate ruins identifiable as a windmill.
While the 1750 map shows sugar cultivation in estate 20, the first sugar mill icon appears on the c.1770 annotated Beck map with an animal mill. The 1799 Oxholm maps shows both a windmill and an animal mill at Limetree, one of the few estates where both are depicted in the same estate.
The 1856 Parsons map depicts a tower with no sails designated as an Old Mill in the area. While the 1921 topographic sheet shows old mill tower, neither of the later topographic maps show ruins identifiable as a windmill at Limetree.
The 1750 map attributes ownership to the widow Richards. The maps in the 1760s and 1770s attribute ownership of the western portion of estate 20, where the windmill was located, to Isaac Hartman and the eastern portion to George Harris and Nicolay Tuite. By 1790 ownership transitioned to Heyliger heirs.
McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (pp.115-116) notes the location and previous ownership of Limetree. In the 1920s, notes the estate mostly sugar plantation. The use of the name Limetree is curious, given that this estate is located relatively far from Limetree Bay.
Historic Maps of Barren Spot Limetree, Queen’s Quarter
