Estate Castle Coakley

Castle Coakley has 2 windmills in estate 34 in St. Croix’s Queen’s Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the first windmill was likely built in the 1760s and the second in the 19th century. The estate was likely named for a member of the Coakley family, one of the early owner of the estate. The inscription stone on the southern windmill says Julianna. The windmill towers are in good condition.

Sugar cultivation came early to estate 34, with cane fields and an animal mill depicted on the 1750 map. The first Beck printing retained the animal mill while the second printing converted it to a windmill in the mid-1750s. All of the 1760s and 1770s variants of the Beck maps included a windmill.

The 1799 Oxholm map shows one windmill at Castle Coakley, while the 1856 Parsons map shows two windmills along with a tower with no sails. The 20th century topographic maps all show ruins identifiable as two windmills at Castle Coakley.

The 1750 map attributes ownership to James Coakly. Apparently keeping it in the family, the 1760s and 1770s maps attribute ownership to John Coakly Senior. By 1790, ownership transitioned to De Nully. The early ownership by the Coakley family suggests the name Castle Coakley.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.51) locates the location and early ownership. Perhaps explaining the two closely located windmills and extensive masonry work around them, notes that in 1851, it had absorbed Cassava Garden and Pearl, as Ratcliffe Estates; Hermitage and Manning being under same ownership. It seems reasonable that sugar cane from Pearl and Cassava Garden was transported to Castle Coakley for processing. Note the 1851 date differs from the 1854 date in the Cassava Garden entry.

Photos of Castle Coakley, north windmill, 2020s

Two windmill towers, with one close to the viewer on the right and the other further away on the left.
Two windmills at Castle Coakley from the north.
Windmill tower set against a cloudy sky. A retaining wall to the left with a 15-20 foot drop-off. Other retaining walls on the right of the image.
Castle Coakley north windmill exterior from the southwest from a distance main entrance. To the left is the extent of the retaining wall to delineate the sugar works.
Windmill tower with the juice trough opening, shaped somewhat like a keyhole, is centered in the image. To the left is the bagasse opening with a short flight of stairs running down from it, hugging the outside of the tower. Other masonry walls extend to the left.
Castle Coakley north windmill exterior from the south featuring the juice trough opening, through which can be seen the machine slot. The rails on the top of the mill are not original, although to the left, the stairs running down from the bagasse opening are. The white metal grate covers an opening to a substantial cistern.
Three arched openings from the interior. The openings differ in width. The bagasse chute and masonry walls can be seen through the opening in the center of the image. Fairly smooth stones line the floor with vegetation growing between them.
Castle Coakley north windmill interior facing southwest featuring the juice trough opening on the left, bagasse opening center, and main entrance on the right. The white grates visible through the juice trough opening cover openings to large cisterns below. The floor appears to have some original stones.
Arched opening from the interior with an outwardly sloping floor going through a masonry chute that is about 2 feet square. Other masonry walls and vegetation visible in the distance.
Castle Coakley north windmill interior facing southwest with a close up of the bagasse opening. The sloping chute allowed the crushed cane to be dropped into carts in the pit below and southwest of the tower. The masonry walls right outside the window delineated the pit and provided a safety factor.
Arched opening forming a chute approximately 10 feet long through which can be seen a masonry wall in the distance.
Castle Coakley north windmill exterior from the southwest with a close up of the bagasse chute from the bagasse pit.
Masonry wall in which a recess drops to the right. The top of the mill can be seen at the top of the image.
Castle Coakley north windmill exterior from the southwest from below. The recess on the right side of the image held the juice trough that entered through the pipe just to the right of this photo.
Masonry wall with a recess in it and pipe in the center of the recess. A recess in the masonry extends upward and to the left.
Castle Coakley north windmill detail of the pipe entering the cisterns from the vantage point of the bagasse cart pit.
Sharply inclined side of the mill tower with two slots 1-2 feet apart that are about 2 inches by 6 inches set in the masonry wall. Arched railing and hillsides in the background.
Castle Coakley north windmill exterior from the southwest with a close up of the bagasse opening. The slots would have held material to help keep the opening covered. The outwardly sloping floor meets the roof of the bagasse chute at the bottom of the image.
Sharply inclined side of the mill tower with two slots 1-2 feet apart that are about 2 inches by 6 inches set in the masonry wall. Grass and trees in the background.
Castle Coakley north windmill exterior from the southwest with a close up of the bagasse opening. The slots would have held material to help keep the opening covered.
Circle of cloudy sky interrupted by a pair of parallel rails intersecting a single rail at right angles at the top of the windmill tower. Image framed by interior of windmill tower. Vertical slots in the masonry with two of them having portions of beams sticking out toward the center of the tower.
Castle Coakley north windmill interior facing north looking upward construction material. The two beams sticking out toward the center of the tower supported a floor for performing maintenance on the upper gearing and other machinery at the top of the windmill. The rails are not original.
Windmill tower with the machine slot in the center and the juice trough opening visible through it on the other side of the tower. The mill sits in a groomed grassy area with a yellow building behind it to the left and other hills visible in the distance.
Castle Coakley north windmill exterior from the north featuring the machine slot through which can be seen the juice trough opening and the south windmill beyond. The recesses near the ground on either side of the machine slot held timbers that anchored ropes holding the sails in place when the windmill was not operating. Notice the grade, with the side on the left where the main entrance is being several feet higher than the windward side. The rails on top of the mill are not original.
Edge of the windmill tower with part of the machine slot visible on the right and a sliver of the interior. A couple of trees visible in the background, while mowed grass immediately around the mill.
Castle Coakley north windmill exterior from the northwest with a close up of the machine slot. Notice the patches of red plaster on near the opening. This would have gone all around the opening. The masonry base of the stairs in the machine slot led to the work floor. Notice the small flared set of stones around the very base of the tower.
Arched opening from inside the windmill tower. The tall narrow machine slot has some wood at the top of its arch. Outside is a masonry railing and then buildings and hills in the distance.
Castle Coakley north windmill interior facing north featuring the machine slot. Notice the wood at the top of the opening, which would protect the masonry and machinery in case the two bumped when equipment was exchanged. The arched rail visible outside delineates a 10-20 foot high retaining wall around the sugar works.

Photos of Castle Coakley, south windmill, 2020s

Two windmill towers, with one close to the viewer on the right and the other further away on the left.
Two windmills at Castle Coakley from the south.
Windmill tower with the arched main entrance in the center and arched bagasse openings on either side. A metal shaft 6-12 inches in diameter lies across the image in the foreground. The bagasse pit walls visible in the extreme right of the image.
Castle Coakley south windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. On either side are bagasse openings, indicating the sails were reversed in their rotational direction when the mill was modified. Notice how the upper portions of the wall are far more weathered than other parts of the mill wall. The metal shaft in the foreground likely had a role in driving the crushing machinery when it existed outside the mill.
Rectangular stone with the name Julianna on it. The stone sits above an arched opening.
Castle Coakley south windmill exterior from the west with a close up of the inscription stone. The name Julianna can be read, but the rest is illegible.
Three arched openings from the interior. The largest in the center has three beams stacked up from the floor with some metal pieces on top of it. The interior walls and floor are all very smooth.
Castle Coakley south windmill interior facing west featuring one bagasse opening and pit beyond on the left, the main entrance center, and another bagasse opening on the right. The beams stretching across the main opening would have secured the shaft driving a horizontal roller mechanism outside the mill, transferring the motive force from the sails. Notice how smooth the floors are, likely worn by decades of activity. Thanks to our models, Brian O’Reilly and Steve Cohen.
Windmill tower with the machine slot in the center of the image.
Castle Coakley south windmill exterior from the south featuring the machine slot. The masonry steps leading to the work floor are in relatively good shape, while the red plaster decorating the trim around the opening has largely weathered away. Through the machine slot is the juice trough opening, through which the north mill is visible. The recess at the very top of the mill ventilated the upper parts of the windmill when it operated. The two recesses on either side of the machine slot still have the base of the timbers that would have held ropes securing the sails when the mill was not operating.
Interior masonry wall with tall, narrow machine slot arched opening. Some pieces of wood beams seen.
Castle Coakley south windmill interior facing south featuring the machine slot. The beam on the lower right of the image stretches about halfway across the mill and would have held the vertical shaft and crushing machinery in place.
Windmill tower with no openings visible. Cloudy sky and grassy area around the tower.
Castle Coakley south windmill exterior from the east. The rim at the top of the mill indicates the mill has not collapsed here. The raised trim around the machine slot on the left edge of the mill. More plaster exists on this side than the west side of the mill. Mote how the stones are in regular rows but vary in size.
Circle of cloudy blue sky bounded by the interior masonry walls of the tower. Vertical recesses end with a masonry rim several feet below the top of the tower. A partly disintegrated beam stretches partway across the mill.
Castle Coakley south windmill interior facing north looking upward. The vertical slots would have held timbers to support a wooden rail at the top on which the cap would turn. The beam projecting across the image played a role in keeping the vertical shaft and crushing machinery in place. The shorter beam in the upper levels supported a floor on which maintenance could be performed on the gears and other machinery above.
Windmill tower with the juice trough opening in the center, through which can be seen the narrow machine slot. A bagasse opening is to the right. Stacks at the oil refinery in the distance. Grassy area in the foreground has some very low stone walls.
Castle Coakley south windmill exterior from the north from a distance centered on the juice trough opening.
Windmill tower with the juice trough opening centered and a bagasse opening to the right. The grassy area in the foreground has some very low stone walls crossing from left to right, defining work spaces.
Castle Coakley south windmill exterior from the north featuring the juice trough opening, through which the machine slot can be seen. Note the red plaster on the raised stone around the opening. One bagasse opening is to the right, with another not visible on the far side of the mill. The stone filling up the lower portion of the opening was a later modification to allow the windmill to power a set of horizontal rollers positioned outside the main entrance of the windmill.
Top half of a windmill tower beyond a 15-20 foot high retaining wall. The wall has an arched opening creating a tunnel about 50 feet long.
Castle Coakley south windmill exterior from the west featuring the bagasse pit approach. Carts would have gone through this tunnel to the pit beyond to collect the bagasse.
Windmill tower centered on the arched bagasse opening. A masonry walled pit is in the foreground, approximately 20 feet in diameter.
Castle Coakley south windmill exterior from the southwest featuring one bagasse opening. The masonry walls in the foreground delineate a pit into which donkey carts would travel to collect the crushed cane. The main entrance is to the left and the machine slot to the right.
Edge of the windmill tower with a bagasse opening in the center and masonry walls below defining the bagasse pit.
Castle Coakley south windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the bagasse opening and pit below it, which is about 8 feet deep and 20 feet across.

Historic Maps of Castle Coakley

the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 34, currently named Castle Coakley.
The 1958 and 1982 photorevision of the USGS topographic map show ruins identifiable as a windmill at Castle Coakley.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 34, currently named Castle Coakley.
The 1919 USCGS topographic sheet shows Small & Large in the center of Castle Coakley.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 34, currently named Castle Coakley.
The 1907 map identifies an estate at Castle Coakley.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 34, currently named Castle Coakley.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts two windmills and a tower without sails at elevation 167 feet Castle Coakley.
Snippets of the Oxholm map of 1799 and the copy by Lang of 1820 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 34, currently named Castle Coakley.
Oxholm’s 1799 map and the 1820 revision show a windmill on the west end of a ridge in the center of Castle Coakley.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 34, currently named Castle Coakley.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership of estate 34 to Coakley.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 34, currently named Castle Coakley.
The 1767 Küffner manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a sugar mill and attributes ownership to Coakly in the area of Castle Coakley.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 34, currently named Castle Coakley.
The annotated Beck maps and manuscript copies depict a windmill. All these maps attribute ownership to John Coakly Senior.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 34, currently named Castle Coakley.
The first Beck printing had an animal mill and the second changed it to a windmill 34.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 34, currently named Castle Coakley.
The 1750 map by Cronenberg and von Jægersberg indicates sugar cultivation and structures including an animal mill in estate 34. Ownership attributed to James Coakly.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 34, currently named Castle Coakley.
During the French period, no settlement is indicated near Castle Coakley.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 34, currently named Castle Coakley.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill on the west end of a ridge in the center of Castle Coakley.