Estate Barren Spot

Spot is estate 30 in St. Croix’s Queen’s Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 1760s. The estate name was likely a corruption of Barnspol, an earlier name of the estate. The inscription stone says 1808, which probably is not the construction date. The windmill was converted into a chapel. The windmill tower is in good condition.

Sugar cultivation came early to estate 30, with cane fields and an animal mill depicted on the 1750 map. The printed Beck maps included an animal mill in the 1750s. The annotated Beck maps and manuscript copies added sails to depict a windmill in the 1760s. The consistent appearance of windmill icons on these maps plus the 1799 Oxholm map suggests the date 1808 on the inscription stone above the main entrance does not indicate a construction date.

The 1799 Oxholm map included a windmill in a location analogous to the location of the ruined tower found in the field. The 1856 Parsons map also depicted a windmill with a tower without sails down the hill to the southeast. All the 20th century topographic maps included ruins identifiable as a windmill.

The 1750 map attributes ownership to Doctor Sheyer. The 1760s annotated Beck maps and manuscript copies attribute ownership to Alexander Moir or his heirs, while the 1770 annotated maps that attribute ownership to Anthony Janson. By 1790, ownership transitioned to William & Samuel Newton. Curiously, the 1799 Oxholm map names the estate Moirs after the owner in the late 1760s.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.31) notes the presence of mills, estatehouse, and village. Notes the corruption of the name Barren Spot from Barnspol estate and the merger with King’s Quarter estate 21 to the west of 30.

Photos of Barren Spot, Queen’s Quarter, 2020s

Windmill tower from the lower parts of the hill below it. Tree on hill in front of a retaining wall on the left. Church buildings on the right behind the mill.
Barren Spot windmill exterior from the southeast from a distance.
Top half of a windmill tower beyond a 15-20 foot high retaining wall. The top part of the wall has arched openings.
Barren Spot windmill exterior from the southwest from a distance. The retaining wall helps to delineate the border of the work area around the mill.
Windmill tower with a path bordered by two waist-high stone walls leading up to it. Rows of palm trees sit along the stone walls.
Barren Spot windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. While a ramp may have led up to the main entrance, the current structure is not original.
Windmill tower with three openings visible and stone walls leading up to it.
Barren Spot windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the main entrance on the left, the bagasse opening behind the low bush, and a portion of the juice trough opening.
Main Entrance keystone and rectangular raised stone block above it. The date 1808 inscribed at the top of the keystone.
Barren Spot windmill exterior from the west with a close up of the inscription stone. The date 1808 could be the construction date.
Windmill tower on a grade going downhill right to left. Machine slot centered in the image, which is filled with stained glass window at the top and louvres at the bottom.
Barren Spot windmill exterior from the north featuring the machine slot. The slope of the hill helps illustrate how the sails could turn to the windward side, on this case the left of the image, while the ramp on the right would allow access to the mill work floor.
Machine slot allowing blue and white light through the stained glass window. Some plastic blue chairs sit on the mill floor.
Barren Spot windmill interior facing south featuring the machine slot.
Windmill tower with vegetation on either side sits below a sunny sky. The juice trough opening is centered in the image and is filled with a stained glass window. An air conditioning unit sits outside the opening. The bagasse opening is visible to the left.
Barren Spot windmill exterior from the south featuring the juice trough opening. Notice the difference in how the exterior stones are laid from the two courses of stones at the foundation to the tower cone above it.
Three arched openings with stained glass allowing muti-colored light enter the windmill. Table with table cloth and blue chairs on the floor.
Barren Spot windmill interior facing west featuring the juice trough opening on the left, bagasse opening center, and main entrance on the right. Material lining the openings appears original, with some repointing done.
Windmill tower atop a grassy hill under a blue sky. An arched window with a wooden frame around it is centered on the tower. The dark stones on the mill tower are accentuated by light-colored mortar.
Barren Spot windmill exterior from the east featuring the window. The window is arched and the square wooden frame around it is not original. Notice the stone blocks, while regular, are not all the same size.
Arched window with stained glass in it. Some blue chairs and table with tablecloth sit in foreground.
Barren Spot windmill interior facing east featuring the window. Note how the interior of the windmill is larger than the exterior, facilitating breezes entering the mill.
Roof made of brown wooden boards split into 8 sections sits atop the masonry windmill tower.
Barren Spot windmill interior looking upward. The vertical slots would have held timbers that supported the rim on which the cap of the mill sat. The wooden roof is not original.

Historic Maps of Barren Spot, Queen’s Quarter

the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 30, currently named Barren Spot.
The 1958 and 1982 photorevision of the USGS topographic map show ruins identifiable as a windmill at Barren Spot.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 30, currently named Barren Spot.
The 1921 USCGS topographic sheet shows Mill in the center of Barren Spot.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 30, currently named Barren Spot.
The 1907 map identifies an estate at Barren Spot.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 30, currently named Barren Spot.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill and a tower without sails at elevation 153 feet at the end of the road with other structures to the east in the center of Barren Spot.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 30, currently named Barren Spot.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill on a ridge with other structures to the north in the center of Moirs.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 30, currently named Barren Spot.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership of estate 30 to William & Samuel Newton.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 30, currently named Barren Spot.
The 1767 Küffner manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a sugar mill but attributes no ownership in the area of Barren Spot.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 30, currently named Barren Spot.
The annotated Beck maps and manuscript copies add sails to the animal mill to depict a windmill except the 1770 annotated map that only added ownership attributions. These maps attribute ownership to Alexander Moir or his heirs except the 1770 and c.1770 annotated maps that attribute ownership to Anthony Janson.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 30, currently named Barren Spot.
Both Beck printings show an animal mill icon in the southwest quadrant of estate 30.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 30, currently named Barren Spot.
The 1750 map by Cronenberg and von Jægersberg indicates sugar cultivation and structures including an animal mill in estate 30. Ownership attributed to Doctor Sheyer.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 30, currently named Barren Spot.
During the French period, no settlement is indicated near Barren Spot [St. Ann’s Church].