Estate Orange Grove

Orange Grove is estate 31 in St. Croix’s West End Quarter. This mill sits on a hill above other ruins in the valley below. This windmill has distinctive brick striping that was plastered over when the mill operated. The windmill remains in good condition.

The estate now known as Orange Grove appears to have been settled during the French period by DuFresne. The 1750 map shows estate 31 to have a stream and trees. Both printed Beck maps of the 1750s depict no sugar machinery in estate 31.

None of the annotated Beck maps along with both manuscript copies from the 1760s include an animal mill in estate 31. However, all of these maps attribute ownership to James Mead extending east into estate 8 of Prince’s Quarter, with sugar manufacturing equipment depicted there. The 1790s manuscript maps attribute ownership to both Tuite and Armstrong for the neighboring estates.

The 1799 Oxholm map includes a windmill in the northwest corner of estate 31, joining it with estate 8 of Prince’s Quarter as Orange Grove. The 1856 Parsons map indicates a windmill in a similar location at Orange Grove, with structures to the east and a slave village to the south.

The 1920s topographic map locates the Orange Grove Mill at 422 feet elevation, up a steep hill and to the west of other structures in the valley below. The 1958 and 1982 topographic maps indicate ruins of a windmill at Orangegrove in a similar location at 420 feet elevation, confirmed through field reconnaissance.

As the McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p. 139-140) describes, guavas grew wild here in the 1920s with a considerable village in the valley.

Photos of Orange Grove, West End, 2020s

Orange Grove West End windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance.
Orange Grove West End windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. The fieldstone construction material is decorated by vertical brick stripes at regular intervals around the mill and a horizontal brick stripe near the foundation. The window on the east wall is visible through the entrance.
Orange Grove West End windmill interior facing west featuring the main entrance.
Orange Grove West End windmill interior facing west featuring the main entrance. While a portion of the interior of the top portion of the mill collapsed, the top of the mill appears to be at the same height as when it was built. The beam holes above the main entrance would have supported a work floor above it.
Orange Grove West End windmill interior facing northwest featuring the bagasse opening.
Orange Grove West End windmill interior facing northwest featuring the bagasse opening. The beam holes above the opening and then near the top of the mill would have held beams to support work floors for machinery maintenance.
Orange Grove West End windmill interior facing east featuring the window.
Orange Grove West End windmill interior facing east featuring the window. Some of the material lining the inside of the window fell out or was removed. On the original lining material, the pink plaster remains. The exterior of the window is smaller than the interior to facilitate breezes entering the windmill, underlining the importance of ventilation for windows.
Orange Grove West End windmill exterior from the northwest highlighting building material.
Orange Grove West End windmill exterior from the northwest. This close up highlights the difference between the surviving plaster, which covered the entire exterior of the mill, including over the brick stripes, and the fieldstone and brick underneath the plaster.
Orange Grove West End windmill exterior from the northwest featuring the bagasse opening.
Orange Grove West End windmill exterior from the northwest featuring the bagasse opening. The brick striping is clearly evident. On the left side in this image, the dark coloration reflects dirty plaster, while the plaster on the right has weathered away, revealing the fieldstone construction material.
Orange Grove West End windmill exterior from the east featuring the window.
Orange Grove West End windmill exterior from the east featuring the window. This close up highlights how the plaster has blackened, likely due to air pollution.
Orange Grove West End windmill exterior from the south featuring the machine slot.
Orange Grove West End windmill exterior from the south featuring the machine slot which also held the juice trough. This machine slot is a bit wider than most other mills to serve this double purpose.

Historic Maps of Orange Grove, West End

Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map 1982 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1982 photorevision of Orangegrove has no changes from the 1958 map.
Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1958featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1958 topographic maps indicates a windmill ruin at an elevation of 420 feet at Orangegrove. A couple of structures lie to the east and south of the windmill.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1920 USGS topographic map locates the Orange Grove Mill at an elevation of 422 feet. Structures lie to the east and south, with the Orange Grove Chimney the easternmost structure in the estate.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1907 map indicates a windmill ruin at Estate Orange Grove.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill at Orange Grove. North of the road and stream, the mill has some structures to the east of it along with a slave village to the south.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
Oxholm’s 1799 map indicates a windmill in the northeast quadrant of Estate Orange Grove. Again, ownership across the quarter line is suggested with the name stretching across 2 estates. While a structure is indicated to the southeast of the mill, no structures are indicated in estate 8 in Prince’s Quarter.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership of the two neighboring estates, with attribution to Tuite = Armstrong.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
Küffner’s 1767 Beck replica includes an indication of settlement in the area of Estate Orange Grove, with no equivalent indication across the quarter line in estate 8 of Prince’s Quarter.
Snippet of the 1766 unsigned Beck manuscript copy featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1766 manuscript copies of Beck’s map Beck replicas depict no structures in what is today Estate Orange Grove. However, an animal mill appears in the southwest quadrant of estate 8 of Prince’s Quarter. Both estates attribute ownership to James Mead.
Snippet of the annotated Beck map of c.1770 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1770 annotated Beck map illustrates no structures in what is today Estate Orange Grove but does include a hand-drawn windmill in the neighboring estate 8 of Prince’s Quarter. Both estates attribute ownership to James Mead.
Snippet of the annotated Beck map of 1770 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1770 annotated Beck map illustrates no structures in what is today Estate Orange Grove or the neighboring estate 8 of Prince’s Quarter. Both estates attribute ownership to James Mead. The name underlined in red indicates a sugar plantation.
Snippet of the annotated Beck map of c.1767 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
The c.1767 Beck map illustrates on animal mill in estate 31 West End Quarter or 8 Prince’s Quarter, unlike other annotated maps. Ownership is attributed to James Mead
Snippets of the annotated Beck maps of 1767 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1767 annotated Beck map illustrates no structures in what is today Estate Orange Grove. However, an animal mill is hand drawn in the northwest quadrant of estate 8 of Prince’s Quarter. Both estates attribute ownership to James Mead.
Snippet of the annotated Beck map of 1766 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
The 1766 annotated Beck map illustrates no structures in the estate. However, an animal mill is hand drawn in the southeast quadrant of estate 8 of Prince’s Quarter. Both estates attribute ownership to James Mead.
Snippet of the Beck map printed in 1754 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
In the 1750s, the first and second printings of the Beck map show no sugar machinery.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
By 1749, the estate has little detail except the stream and some trees.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring West End Quarter estate # 31, currently named Orange Grove.
During the French period, in the area of what is now Orange Grove in West End quarter, the name DuFresne is written.