Estate Montpellier Dolby Hill

Montpellier Dolby Hill is estate 3 in St. Croix’s Queen’s Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the 1740s, one of the oldest 3 windmills on St. Croix, and decommissioned before 1856. The windmill tower is in good condition.

Montpellier Dolby Hill is home to one of the three oldest windmill towers on St. Croix. The 1750 map indicates sugar cultivation with an animal mill and a windmill in estate 3. Both Beck printings show a windmill icon, a feature on all the annotated and manuscript copies of the Beck map in the 1760s and 1770s.

The 1799 Oxholm map shows a windmill at Montpellier. The 1856 Parsons map shows a tower without sails. All the 20th-century topographic maps show structures identifiable as a windmill at Montpellier.

The 1750 map attributes ownership to Simon de Cuivitre. These maps from the 1760s and 1770s attribute ownership to Peter Cornelius Low. By 1790, ownership transitioned to Charles Chevert.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (pp.66,129) locates a mill on road southwest of St. John.

Photos of Montpellier Dolby Hill, 2020s

Windmill tower with masonry walls on either side of a grass-covered earthen ramp entering the tower. Vegetation surrounds the mill on either side.
Montpellier Dolby Hill windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the main entrance. The top rim and vent slot at the top of the tower indicate the top of the tower has not collapsed. The walls and ramp ending in a couple of steps at the main entrance are likely original to the mill.
Windmill tower with arched opening in the center and smaller arched opening to the right. Trees around the mill on either side.
Montpellier Dolby Hill windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance in the center and bagasse opening to the right. Notice the crack from the main entrance to the top of the tower.
Windmill tower under blue skies and obscured by palm trees in the foreground. Mahogany trees in the background.
Montpellier Dolby Hill windmill exterior from the south featuring the machine slot. Notice the crack rising to the right of the machine slot from the foundation. The recess to the left of the machine slot held a timber used to tie off the sails when the windmill was not operating.
Windmill tower on a grassy hill with palm trees leaning to the left in front of it, suggesting persistent breezes.
Montpellier Dolby Hill windmill exterior from the southeast featuring the machine slot on the left. Notice the top rim and lower rim at the foundation accentuating the edges of the windmill tower.
Windmill tower under blue skies. A tree grows from either inside or on top of the tower. Grass in the foreground with palm trees on the sides.
Montpellier Dolby Hill windmill exterior from the east featuring the construction material. Notice the regular rows of stones used for the tower and lower foundation, although the tower stones are increasingly small higher up on the tower. A crack starts at the foundation and rises to nearly the top of the tower.
Windmill tower with an arched opening on the right side. A stone wall curves around and joins the tower on the far side.
Montpellier Dolby Hill windmill exterior from the northeast featuring the juice trough opening. The wall on the right borders the earthen ramp to the main entrance. The recesses on the lower portion of the mill held timbers used to tie off the sails when the mill was not operating. Notice the difference in the material on the lower foundation and the tower.
Windmill tower partly obscured by trees.
Montpellier Dolby Hill windmill exterior from the north featuring the juice trough opening. The narrow machine slot can be seen through the far wall of the tower.

Historic Maps of Montpellier Dolby Hill

the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Montpellier Dolby Hill.
The 1958 and 1982 photorevision of the USGS topographic map show ruins identifiable as a windmill at Montpellier.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Montpellier Dolby Hill.
The 1919 USCGS topographic sheet shows Dolby Hill Millat elevation 218 feet in the south edge of Dolby Hill.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Montpellier Dolby Hill.
The 1907 map identifies an estate at Dolby Hill.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Montpellier Dolby Hill.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a tower with no sails on a ridge to the north of the road with other structures to the north in the center of Montpellier Dolby Hill.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Montpellier Dolby Hill.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill on a ridge to the north of the road in the south edge of Montpellier.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Montpellier Dolby Hill.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels attribute ownership of estate 3 to Charles Chevert and the map by Janssen makes no attribution.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Montpellier Dolby Hill.
The 1767 Küffner manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a settlement but no sugar mill and attributes no ownership in the area of Montpellier Dolby Hill.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Montpellier Dolby Hill.
The annotated Beck maps and manuscript copies retained the windmill from the printed maps. All these maps attribute ownership to Peter Cornelius Low, extending ownership from estate 3 to include the northern portion of estate 10.
Snippet of the c1757 Beck map featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Montpellier Dolby Hill.
Both Beck printings show a windmill icon to the north of the road in the south side of estate 3.
Snippet of the 1754 Beck map featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Montpellier Dolby Hill.
Both Beck printings show a windmill icon to the north of the road in the south side of estate 3.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Montpellier Dolby Hill.
The 1750 map by Cronenberg and von Jægersberg indicates sugar cultivation and structures including an animal mill and a windmill in estate 3. Ownership attributed to Simon de Cuivitre.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring Queen's Quarter estate # 3, currently named Montpellier Dolby Hill.
During the French period, ownership in the Montpellier Dolby Hill area is attributed to Newuille.