Estate Smithfield

Smithfield is estate 23 in St. Croix’s West End Quarter. The name likely derives from an owner indicated on maps starting in the 1760s. One of several windmills to have a basement under the working floor of the mill, this mill first appeared on the 1799 Oxholm publication. This windmill was converted to a dwelling at one point.

The estate now known as Smithfield appears to have been settled during the French period by Andreiu. The 1750 map indicates cotton cultivation on most of the estate. The first printed Beck map of the 1750s depict no sugar machinery in estate 23, while the second Beck printing adds an animal mill south of center.

All of the annotated Beck maps along with both manuscript copies from the 1760s include an animal mill just south of center in estate 23. The 1799 Oxholm map includes a windmill in the south center of estate Smithfield. The 1856 Parsons map indicates a decommissioned windmill tower with no sails in a similar location at Smithfield.

Ownership attribution on the 1750 map to Benjamin Gumber changed to Thom Smith, with a variety of spellings, for all of the annotated Beck maps from the 1760s along with both manuscript copies. This ownership likely provides the genesis of the name Smithfield. Oxholm’s 1778 map of Frederiksted attribute ownership to both Thomas and James Smith. The 1790s manuscript copies of Beck attribute ownership only to J. Smith.

The 1920s topographic map locates the Smithfield Mill at 84 feet elevation. The 1958 and 1982 topographic maps indicate ruins of a windmill at Smithfield in the location confirmed through field reconnaissance.

As the McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p. 179) describes, a mill is located here 7/8 mile south of Frederiksted.

Photos of Smithfield, 2020s

Smithfield windmill exterior from the west.
Smithfield windmill exterior from the west. Substantial structures added to the mill somewhat obscure the original construction.
Smithfield windmill exterior from the southeast featuring the window and juice trough openings.
Smithfield windmill exterior from the southeast featuring the window and juice trough openings. The top of the windmill is likely a portion of a roof added when the windmill was converted to a dwelling.
Smithfield windmill exterior from the southeast featuring the juice trough opening.
Smithfield windmill exterior from the southeast featuring the juice trough opening. The stairs and platform to the left may have been part of sugar operations.
Smithfield windmill exterior from the north featuring the window.
Smithfield windmill exterior from the north featuring the windmill tower. The machine slot is on this side of the mill, suggesting that the structures on the north side of the mill were not part of the sugar operations.
Smithfield windmill exterior from the east featuring the window.
Smithfield windmill exterior from the east featuring the window and an entrance to the basement. The windmill was finished in cut stone block, although the material below the working floor differs from that of the windmill tower.

Historic Maps of Smithfield

Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map 1982 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
The 1982 USGS photorevision shows the ruins of a windmill at Smithfield above the 80 foot elevation line. The windmill is located at the end of a drive entering from the east. Again, no other structures are nearby, although around this time, a building was built around the mill.
Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1958featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
The 1958 USGS topographic map shows the ruins of a windmill at Smithfield above the 80 foot elevation line. The windmill is located at the end of a drive entering from the east. No other structures are nearby.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
The 1919 USGS topographic map identifies the Smithfield mill at 84 feet above sea level.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
The 1907 map overlooks Estate Smithfield.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a tower with no sails on the top of the ridge running through Estate Smithfield, with three structures immediately to the west.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
The 1799 Oxholm map depicts an animal mill in the center of Estate Smithfield.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership to J. Smith.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of Frederiksted from 1778 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
Oxholm’s 1778 map of Frederiksted shows an animal mill west of center in the estate, with a structure just to the northwest, a plantation house to the east, and a slave village to the west (note that north is to the left on this map). Ownership attributed to Thomas and James Smith.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
Küffner’s 1767 Beck replica includes an indication of settlement in the area of Estate Smithfield.
Snippet of the Zöllner manuscript copy of Beck from 1766 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
Zöllner’s 1766 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts an animal mill south of center in the estate. Ownership is attributed to Thom Smith.
Snippet of the 1766 unsigned Beck manuscript copy featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
The 1766 unsigned manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts an animal mill south of center in the estate. Ownership is attributed to Thom Schmid.
Snippets of the annotated Beck maps of 1767-1770 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
The 1767, c.1767, 1770, and c.1770 annotated Beck maps illustrate the printed version of the animal mill from the second Beck map printing. Ownership attributed to Thom Smitt, with a variety of spellings. The name underlined in red on the 1770 map indicates a sugar plantation.
Snippet of the annotated Beck map of 1766 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
The 1766 annotated Beck map illustrates a hand drawn animal mill in the southeastern quadrant of the estate. This indicates this map was an annotated version of the first Beck printing. Ownership is attributed to Thom Smith.
Snippet of the Beck map printed circa 1757 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
By around 1756, the second Beck printing shows a printed animal mill just south of center in the estate. This animal mill has yet again a different amount of detail from the other two animals mills in West End quarter added between the two printings.
Snippet of the Beck map printed in 1754 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
By 1752, the first Beck printing shows no sugar machinery.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
By 1749, the estate was planted nearly fully in cotton, evidenced by the blue coloring. A plantation house with a slave village was at the southern extreme of the estate. Ownership attributed to Benjamin Gumber.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring West End Quarter estate # 23, currently named Smithfield.
During the French period in the vicinity of what is today Estate Smithfield appears the name Andrieu.