Estate Two Brothers

Two Brothers is estate 37 in St. Croix’s West End Quarter. The windmill was likely built in the 19th century. The windmill tower is half collapsed above the impressive masonry basement.

The estate now known as Two Brothers appears to have been settled during the French period under the name Lesperance, or Hope. The 1750 map shows cotton cultivation in estate 39, a curious mis-numbering. Both printed Beck maps of the 1750s depict no sugar machinery in estate 37.

None of the annotated Beck maps along with both manuscript copies from the 1760s include sugar machinery in estate 37. However, nearly all of these maps, along with the 1750 map, attribute ownership to Johan Hendricksen. The 1770 annotated Beck map attributes ownership to Johan Dieterich. The 1790s manuscript maps attribute ownership to Forster.

The 1778 and 1799 Oxholm maps includes an animal mill in the north of estate 37, the latter naming it two brothers. The 1856 Parsons map indicates a windmill in a similar location at Two Brothers, with structures to the west.

The 1920s topographic map locates a mill at Two Brothers at at 60 foot elevation along with a Mill with fan just to the west of that at a 40 foot elevation. The 1958 and 1982 topographic maps indicate ruins of a windmill at Two Brothers in a similar location at 60 feet elevation, confirmed through field reconnaissance.

As the McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p. 191-192) describes, this estate later combined with Wheel of Fortune estate.

Photos of Two Brothers

Two Brothers windmill north wall from the west featuring the construction of the wall.
Two Brothers windmill north wall from the west featuring the construction of the wall. Cut stone block lines the exterior while fieldstone lines the interior of the tower wall. The inside of the wall was filled with rubble.
Two Brothers windmill interior facing east featuring the window.
Two Brothers windmill interior facing east featuring the window. The exterior opening is smaller than the interior opening, facilitating breezes entering the mill and underlining the importance of the windows for ventilation. This window is close to the working floor. At the upper left of the image is a beehive.
Two Brothers windmill exterior from the north featuring the juice trough opening.
Two Brothers windmill exterior from the north featuring the juice trough opening. The collapse of this mill left the juice trough opening intact. The boiling house would have been in the direction of the viewer.
Two Brothers windmill exterior from the east featuring the window.
Two Brothers windmill exterior from the east featuring the window, which is covered with vegetation. An entrance to the basement is immediately below the window. Cut stone blocks was used for the exterior of the windmill.
Two Brothers windmill exterior from the northeast featuring the window.
Two Brothers windmill exterior from the northeast featuring the window, which is covered with vegetation. An entrance to the basement is immediately below the window. Cut stone blocks was used for the exterior of the windmill.
Two Brothers windmill interior facing east featuring the juice trough opening.
Two Brothers windmill interior facing east featuring the juice trough opening.
Two Brothers windmill interior facing southeast featuring the hearth.
Two Brothers windmill interior facing southeast featuring the hearth. The hearth would have provided light for the windmill working floor.
Two Brothers windmill exterior from the west featuring the machine slot.
Two Brothers windmill exterior from the west featuring the machine slot. The cut stone block on the wall would have been the east side of the machine slot. The mill collapsed above the machine slot where the flue would have created a void in the masonry that weakened that portion of the windmill structure.
Two Brothers windmill basement interior facing east featuring the center pillar supporting the mill above.
Two Brothers windmill basement interior facing east featuring the center pillar supporting the mill above.

Historic Maps of Two Brothers

Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map 1982 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
The 1982 photorevision depicts the same ruins with additional structures built nearby since 1958.
Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1958 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
The 1958 USGS topographic map shows a windmill ruin at Two Brothers at just less than the 60 foot elevation line. Structures stretch to the north toward Frederiksted, with quite a few structures between the mill and the sea.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
The 1920 USGS topographic map indicates a mill roughly in the center of the estate, right next to the elevation line for 60 feet. Structures stretch to the north toward Frederiksted with one structure to the south and another to the west.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
The 1907 map indicates a windmill ruin at Estate Two Brothers.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill at the end of a drive coming south from Frederiksted into Estate Two Brothers. Some other structures lie to the west.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows an animal mill roughly in the center of two brothers.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership to Forster.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of Frederiksted from 1778 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
Oxholm’s 1778 map of Frederiksted shows an animal mill roughly in the center of the estate. Some plantation structures are depicted to the east and west (north is to the lift on this map). A slave village is drawn to the north of the other structures, near to the estate boundary and southern limit of Frederiksted. Ownership attributed to Madame Henricksen, quite unusual, since female owners were typically referred to as widows.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
Küffner’s 1767 Beck replica includes an indication of settlement in the area of Estate Two Brothers, just south of Frederiksted.
Snippet of the Zöllner manuscript copy of Beck from 1766 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
Zöllner’s 1766 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts no sugar-related machinery in estate 37. Ownership is attributed to Johan Hendricksen.
Snippet of the 1766 unsigned Beck manuscript copy featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
The 1766 unsigned manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts no sugar-related machinery in estate 37. Ownership is attributed to Johan Dieterich.
Snippets of the annotated Beck maps of 1766-1770 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
The 1766, 1767, c.1767, 1770, and c.1770 annotated Beck maps illustrate no sugar-related machinery in estate 37. Ownership is attributed to Johan Hendricksen. The name underlined in red on the 1770 map indicates a sugar plantation.
Snippet of the c1757 Beck map featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
In the 1750s, the second printing of the Beck map shows no sugar machinery.
Snippet of the 1754 Beck map featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
In the 1750s, the first printing of the Beck map show no sugar machinery.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
The 1749 map numbers as estate 39 in West End Quarter what all later maps with estate numbers indicated as estate 37. This estate is planted in cotton, evidenced by the blue coloring. Ownership is attributed to Johannas Hendricksen. A plantation house and small slave village to the south are found on the east center of the estate.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring West End Quarter estate # 37, currently named Two Brothers.
During the French period, in the area of what is now Two Brothers, the word Lesperance, Hope, is written.