Estate The Whim

The Whim is estate 4 in St. Croix’s West End Quarter. The estate name Whim was not in use until the 19th century, previously being called John’s Rest. The windmill was most likely built in the 1770s and is now incorporated in to the exhibits of the St. Croix Landmarks Society, the only reconstructed windmill on St. Croix.

The estate currently known as The Whim appears to have been settled in the French period, with the name le Vert, or The Green. In 1750, the estate was planted in cotton, with a house plus a slave village in the northwest quadrant.

The first Beck printing does not indicate any sugar machinery, while the second printing depicts an animal mill, a feature repeated on all the annotated maps and manuscript copies.

Three of the annotated Beck maps of the 1760s attribute ownership to Patrik McDonnoug. One of the annotated maps and both manuscript copies from 1766 attribute ownership to John Delany’s widow.

Oxholm’s 1778 map of Frederiksted includes the area of The Whim. A windmill appears in the northeast quadrant of the estate, south of a slave village and east of other structures. Ownership in 1778 attributed to Delany remains consistent on the 1790s Beck manuscript copies.

Naming variations exist between the 1799 Oxholm map and 1856 Parsons map, identified as Johns Rest and Wym, respectively. Both maps depict a windmill in the northeast quadrant of the estate to the south of a drive coming from Centerline Road.

The 1920s topographic map locates the Whim Mill to the east of other structures, including the chimney. A Mill with Fan on the eastern border of the estate is consistent with a water tower found through field reconnaissance. On this map, a structure with rounded ends located to the south of the drive is consistent with the great house. A village lies to the southwest of this structure.

The 1958 and 1982 topographic maps both identify a windmill among ruins at Whim. These ruins correspond to the current display at the St. Croix Landmarks Society on the estate.

As the McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p. 198) describes, sugar cane was still cultivated here in the 1920s. The previous name of John’s Rest is also mentioned.

Photos of The Whim

The Whim windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance.
The Whim windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. For this mill, a ramp was used to enter the mill rather than a set of stairs. The cap and tail pole (to the right of the mill), hold the sails.
The Whim windmill interior from the west featuring the crushing rollers through main entrance.
The Whim windmill interior from the west featuring the crushing rollers through main entrance. The center roller is attached to the shaft driven by the windmill sails. The gear on the center roller turned the outside rollers. The cane would have been put between the roller to the right with the larger opening first and then the other after that from the other side.
The Whim windmill exterior from the northwest featuring the bagasse opening.
The Whim windmill exterior from the northwest featuring the bagasse opening. The difference in the exterior stonework around the opening suggests that this was modified at some point. The rim around the top of the mill suggests that the top portion of the mill never collapsed.
The Whim windmill exterior from the north featuring the machine slot.
The Whim windmill exterior from the north featuring the machine slot. The stairs led up to the working floor where the rollers are located. The hole to the left of the machine slot held a timber used to tie off ropes that helped move the cap and secure the sails when the mill was not in operation. The tail pole also would have helped move the cap and hold the sails in position when the mill was in operation.
The Whim windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the juice trough opening.
The Whim windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the juice trough opening. The sails, which are lying in the foreground, would have been on the shaft projecting out from the wooden cap on the top of the mill.
The Whim windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the juice trough opening.
The Whim windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the juice trough opening and main entrance. The boiling house ruins in the foreground indicate the general proximity of the windmill and the downhill flow of the cane juice to the boiling house.
Four sugar boiling pots contained in masonry
The train of sugar juice boiling pots at the Whim.

Historic Maps of The Whim

Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map 1982 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
The 1982 photorevision USGS topographic map shows the ruins from the earlier map along with considerable development of new structures on east and south portions of Estate Whim.
Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1958featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
The 1958 USGS topographic map shows several runs at Whim. The well tower and windmill are both clearly indicated, as is the chimney identified as a tower. Other structures are shown to the west.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
The 1920 USGS topographic map shows several structures in the northern portion of the Estate Whim. Starting from the east, a well tower is indicated. In the center are the windmill, sugar works, and steam mill chimney. Toward the west lies the great house, with its distinctive rounded ends. To the southwest of that is a village of smaller structures.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
The 1907 map indicates a windmill ruin at Estate Whim.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill at Wym. As with earlier maps, a drive enters from the north, although this drive is shown ending at the windmill rather than the house. A structure is depicted to the west of the windmill.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill in the northeastern quadrant of Estate John’s Rest. A tree-lined drive enters the estate from the north, ending at the plantation house.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership to Delany, with no mention of heirs or a widow.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of Frederiksted from 1778 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
Oxholm’s 1778 map of Frederiksted shows a settlement on the northern portion of the estate with a windmill is to the south and east of the settlement, with a slave village to the north of the mill (north is to the left on this map). Other structures are to the west of the windmill and village. The access drive comes from the north, from Centerline Road/Queen Mary Highway. Ownership attributed to Delany.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
Küffner’s 1767 Beck replica includes no information in the area of Estate Whim.
Snippet of the Zöllner manuscript copy of Beck from 1766 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
Zöllner’s 1766 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts no sugar machinery. Ownership attributed to John Delany’s widow, indicating this map draws from the 1766 annotated Beck maps.
Snippet of the 1766 unsigned Beck manuscript copy featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
The 1766 unsigned manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts an animal mill is shown in the northern portion of the estate, with a road on the northern extremity. The owner is indicated as Dellanie widow, indicating that this map draws from the 1766 annotated Beck maps.
Snippet of the annotated Beck map of c.1770 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
The 1770 annotated Beck map illustrates an animal mill, with ownership by McDonnough. Another name appears to be scratched out. The printed animal mill in simple form indicates that this map was based on the second Beck printing. The name underlined in red indicates a sugar plantation.
Snippets of the annotated Beck maps of 1767-1770 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
The 1767, c.1767, and c.1770 annotated Beck maps illustrate an animal mill, with ownership attributed to Patrick McDonnoug. The printed animal mill in simple form indicates that this map was based on the second Beck printing.
Snippet of the annotated Beck map of 1766 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
The 1766 annotated Beck map illustrates a hand-drawn animal mill similar in detail to some of the printed mills. Ownership attributed to John Delany’s widow.
Snippet of the Beck map printed circa 1757 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
By around 1756, the second Beck printing shows the same road in the northern extremity of the estate, with an animal mill added to the engraving. The details of this animal mill differ from the animal mills included on the first printing, being a bit simpler.
Snippet of the Beck map printed in 1754 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
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 # 4, currently named The Whim.
By 1749, a plantation house with some slave quarters to the south in the northwest portion of the estate are shown. The blue coloration indicates land was planted in cotton. Ownership is attributed to Encken Payne.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring West End Quarter estate # 4, currently named The Whim.
During the French period, a settlement indicated at Le Vert, the Green.