A Postcolonial Path - Appendix #1 - Value Assessment of Castle Coakley, St Croix, USVI

A Postcolonial Path Sugar Mills from Taboo to Attraction St. Croix, USVI

Amal Abdi Ashur Master’s Thesis 2017 Appendix #1 Value Assessment of Castle Coakley

Inspection by_ Amal Abdi Ashur Inspection date_ 10.03. - 03.03. 2017 Address_ Estate Castle Coakley 33a, 34a County_ St. Croix, USVI Description_ Old plantation

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Estate Castle Coakley

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Introduction

The value assessment and determination of conservation positions of Estate Castle Coakley is based on a method created by “Kulturarvsstyrelsen” in Denmark (Morgen, 2016). It aims to register and describe environmental, culture-historical and architectural values within the old plantation at its present state. These three parameters will be described as objectively as possible based on my experiences on site during the inspection time.

Castle Coakley is an old Danish plantation dating back to the mid 18th century. The former plantation in Queen’s Quarter, St. Croix is located mid island just north of the big oil refinery, Hess Oil Plant. The plantation has altered several times and has transformed as required according to the newest technology.

Castle Coakley has always been one of the larger plantation on St. Croix and got an immediate success. Already in 1754 Castle Coakley was producing sugar and of the 1767 map by I. M. Beck of St. Croix shows a Windmill. At that point, the estate had already converted the animal mill into a windmill as this was more profitable

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Sketch of the two sugar mills

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The complex consisted of a Great House, slave village, Overseer’s House, sugar mills and a factory among other things.

The plantation had its glory days mid 19th century and shipped big amounts of sugar back to Denmark. In 1758, the plantation already had 123 slaves and in 1847 it had 230 slaves which is an unusual large number of slaves.

In 1984, an application was made to get Castle Coakley on the list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation in the National Register of Historic Places. In the application, it was stated: Estate Castle Coakley Historic District, one of the most complete and intact set of historic plantation ruins and occupied dwellings on the island (‌) Furthermore, it stated that Castle Coakley possesses considerable archaeological potential for understanding the history of the site and the sugar industry and should be protected from any unnecessary ground disturbances. (Ausherman, Chapman and Lewis, 1984) Nothing ever happened to the application and sadly more than 30 years later it is only the sugar mills, the remains of the animal mill, the great house and few small houses left. The complete and intact plantation they tried to protect in 1984 still needs protection so the last remains can be maintained and preserved.

Site plan of Castle Coakley in 1984

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Working area

Great House

Cistern Sugar mills

Overseer’s House

Slave village

Present site plan

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Demolished retaining wall

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History

This paragraph describes the history of the complex with focus on the physical structure and its historical development as well as the central reconstructions or additions.

Castle Coakley is situated on a sloping hill south of Centerline Road and north of the big oil refinery, Hess Oil Plant. St. Croix is still today marked by the colonial past. The many areas of the island are named after the former plantation and therefore the area around this site is called Castle Coakley.

Alteration The Great House has been altered several times. In 1878, many of the buildings on the plantation were set on fire including the Great House by rioting workers. The immediate reason for the riots was the end of the protective Labor Law of 1850 that followed the Emancipation in 1848 and the continuing low pay of the workers – down to 10 cents a day (Ausherman, Chapman and Lewis, 1984). After the “Fireburn” Castle Coakley was rebuilt, repaired and soon back to producing sugar.

Two additional wings and a gallery are during the years added to the main core of the Great House. It is unknown when the wing extending west of the main core is added. Around 1947, the north extending wing is added (Whaley, 2017) and the L-shaped gallery with a new welcoming stair is added in 1969 (Ausherman, Chapman and Lewis, 1984). The timeline shows the change of ownership at Castle Coakley and today the acres of the plantation is divided in many smaller properties and the site with the historic remains is now privately owned by Scott Whaley.

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Sugar mills At the founding of Castle Coakley an animal mill was essential to start producing sugar as fast as possible. It is doubtful exactly when the animal mill was built but records shows that the plantation was producing sugar in 1754, which confirms that the mill was built prior to 1754. It is still possible to see the remaining retaining wall whereon there is an entrance into an oval stone well. In the early 1760’s the animal mill is transformed into a windmill and in the late 1790’s the second windmill is constructed north of the already existing windmill.

Soon

after

Castle

Coakley

experiences

the

glorifying

years

regarding sugar production. It is also in this period where the slave labor peaked.

Present situation The Carriage House is still present on site but it is unsure to determine how original this is on the inside. According to the site plan in the application of National Register of Historic Places it seems that the Carriage House has been altered with some new additions since 1984.

The sugar mills are no longer in function and have been abandoned for many years. Due to this the site have been overgrown by bush and big trees. The current owner has for the past two years cleared the site to make it accessible once again and to make it available to the public. The property still needs clearing and the Great House is under a big renovation.

Sugar mills has become the symbol of St. Croix and they have a big historic and symbolic significance.

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Timeline showing owners of Castle Coakley

ca 1740

John Coakley

1790

1816

1874

J. W. Ratcliffe

During 1874 - 1903 Castle Coakley is owned by many different people including Charles Bradshaw & a Mr. Johnson - both St. Croix planters.

During the “Fireburn� Okt. 3. 1878 the plantation is owned

by Charles Bradshaw

(Buys the plantation together with Cassava) & Peak)

John & Elizabeth Coakley (Heirs the property after death of John Coakley)

the

Danish Wes

Castle Coakley Measurement showing the plantations cultivated land, 1909 http://www.kb.dk/da/nb/tema/dvi/index.html

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1903

1918

1934

2001

2014

1917

Robert Skeoch

St. Croix Animal Welfare Center Inc.

March 31. 1917 Transfer Day

Robert Norman Skeoch

Scott Whaley

(Son of Robert Skeoch. The property stays in the family. Lastly owned by R. N. Skeoch Revocable Trust )

st Indies Company

Watercolor of Castle Coakley, 1833 Frederik von Scholten http://www.kb.dk/da/nb/tema/dvi/index.html

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Overseer’s House, Castle Coakley

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Environmental Value

Landscape Castle Coakley is strategically situated on a hilltop so that the windmills catch as much wind as possible. At the site, there are great views overlooking the island. South of the site the view is zoned into three parts. First you see housing in the near context then the towers from the oil refinery finally in the horizon you see the ocean. West of the site there is bare land ending with housings and mountains in the horizon whilst the industrial towers keep showing along the shoreline. Looking north the view is a mix of housings in-between lower hilltops and lower mountains in the horizon. This view is dominated by forest throughout the view. Northwest of the site you see the big commercial area “Sunny Isle�. East of the two mills the Great House is located. This view is dominated by forest and you cannot see far out in the horizon. The view stops at the end of the property as several big trees shield the view. The views from the site are contrasted. The contrasts in the landscape is very different from the experience on site that are well defined and easy to read. The oil refinery towers are intense and confusing while the mountains, the nature and housings creates a calmer impression in accordance with the site.

Landmark Castle Coakley is a landmark that people on St. Croix know about.

From the Centerline Road, there is a view directly up to the two mills almost as an arrow pointing to the historic site. They stand as big monuments in the horizon

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The views on Castle Coakley

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Separation and Hierarchy The Great House and the sugar mills stands as two separate elements on the property as many of the buildings and structures unifying the former plantation are gone. However, the great house in its separation is a strong trade to the importance of hierarchy. The great house is separated from the work area with the mills and small houses, the slaves and his staff but still with an opportunity to follow the work at all time.

Dominant features The mills with the underground tunnels and stone arched walls are the dominant features of the historic site. They stand strongly and independent on the site. South of the mills there is a small and narrow entrance in the wall leading up to the level of the sugar mills creating enclosed and defined area of the stone mills.

There is a big environmental value in the sugar mills and the landscape around them. The retaining walls with the entrance and tunnels are of big value as they tell a history of the sugar industry. The Great House is in connection to the sugar mills of great environmental value as the separation of the working area and the planters house has been important and still very visible.

The arched retaining wall

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The Great House

Overseer’s House and sugar mill with the oil refinery in the background

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Culture-Historical Value

The original owner John Coakley chose the mid island location of the plantation strategically as the center land was more productive and the hilltop placing made future wind powered mills possible. Castle Coakley stands monumental in its context and is a constant reminder of the brutal history with big economic wealth. It is a trail of a painful history with a sugar industry only made possible by the many slaves working on the plantation. These feelings are still present at site together with peacefulness. The hierarchy between the Great House and the working area is still very visible however, the connection between the Great House, the sugar mills, the slave village and the factory is no longer visible.

The architectural form and functions of both the great house and the mills are very readable. It is immediate how the plantation was planned and small traces of the slave village is present connected to the small entrance in the retaining wall up to the mills.

Inside the mills traces of machinery and lumber reveals a growth and that during the years the plantation adapted the new technology.

The slave village today

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Classicism Castle Coakley is a good example of the building typology and materiality on St. Croix. The Great House is like many buildings in

Christiansted

built

with

an

influence

from

the

Danish

classicism architecture.

The facades are strictly composed with symmetric openings mounted with wooden shutters. With the later additions of the Great House the typology of St. Croix buildings has been maintained. A welcoming stairs were added together with a L-shaped traditional arched colonnade. The material is mostly Danish bricks and lime mortar, sometimes combined with local coral-stone which also applies to the great house.

The main core was built with hip roof that is more resistant to hurricanes compared with the tile-covered roof and hipped roof creates cool rooms as the heat can rise under the ceiling. The later additions are also constructed with hip roofs.

Sugar mills The sugar mills are constructed by limestone formed from corals.

This was an often-used local building material that is forbidden to use today. The coral stone was a highly-used building material as it was easily accessible. The stone is soft and can be cut in big blocks as seen on the sugar mills. This material has the ability to resist the tropical climate better and longer than bricks, but was often either lime washed or plastered which it is able to see some traces of inside the mills.

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Valuation The site can be categorized as a complex of high significance in both Danish and Virgin island history. Both the Great House and the two sugar mills are of high culture-historical value due to the happenings on site and the mutual history between Denmark and St. Croix. Two sugar mills on one property are unique in St. Croix and this also emphasizes the importance of the site. Two sugar mills also reveal the history about a plantation with an immediate high success and with many slaves.

There are many sugar mills all over the island but Castle Coakley represent an extreme production of sugar and the complex reveal this in the well-preserved sugar mills, underground tunnels, the small narrow entrance for the slaves and the great house. The mills are also important pieces of craftsmanship, that are not in use any longer, they tell a story of steadfast, functionalistic architecture.

Both the Great House and the sugar mills together with the remaining ruins at Castle Coakley is an evidence of hard work, slavery, economic wealth and architecture that is specific for St. Croix. Both architectural and historical Castle Coakley is important to preserve. The complex is of high culture-historical value, which should be preserved for future generations and as an example of an important piece of both Danish and Virgin Island history.

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Inside the southern sugar mill

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The slave entrance up to the working area

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The Great House with free-range hens

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Architectural Value

Castle Coakley appear as massive well-planned complex with the two sugar mills as the distinctive part of the site. The great house and the one-story Carriage House separate themselves in the architectural language from the working area with the two sugar mills.

The houses are both masonry buildings and between the two there is a clear hierarchy. The Great House is in two stories with arched colonnade wooden shutters and welcoming stair as seen in Christiansted. The house is white washed with green shutters.

The facades are symmetrical organized and every addition has followed the already exiting architectural principles so that the house today appears as a homogenous whole. In connection to the Great House farthest away from the working area there is a circular hedge with a fountain. These architectural effects emphasize the importance of the Great House and how this has been the planters house. The Great House exudes, in its architectural language, an importance in connection to the sugar mills and is of high architectural value. It is significant to continue to tell the history of how architecture can express power, importance and hierarchy. It is also a great example of an architectural typology that is unique.

Colorful Overseer’s House

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The Great House

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Sugar mills The two sugar mills at Castle Coakley are the most significant remaining part of the former plantation. Both the form and the function are easy to read and the construction, opening and the traces in the lime stone walls gives a clear understanding of how the production operated. The mills appear as massive cones with no plaster or lime wash. It is possible to trace lime wash inside one of the mills which display that the mills used to been lime washed. The façades are characterized by the previously lime wash as the stones is not obvious in its texture and materiality. On the exterior, the timber construction fixed in wall is still visible as wood pieces still are fixed in some of the holes on both mills. The southern mill from 1760’s is bigger than the northern mill from 1790. The southern and the northern mills consist of four and three openings with varying widths respectively. Both mills consist of a tall narrow opening that gives the inside room an ecclesiastical atmosphere. This narrow opening combined with the cool and soft lime stone creates a room that in its circular architecture encourage contemplation.

View from the chute. Traces of colored plaster The chute to the waste product of the sugar canes

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The two mills are open to the sky and some of the timber and wrought iron construction are still present inside the mills either fixed in the wall or as element on the ground. In the southern mill there is a split level and in the northern the level is highly elevated. Both mills have wells directly connected with underground tunnels with a monumental ached entrance. The arched retaining walls complete the site and create an enclosed unity.

The sugar mills, the tunnels and wells as well as the arched retaining walls are very unique. They are well-preserved and possess much of their visual integrity. Even in their ruinous state there is a strong sense of the original state. They represent a production, history and architectural materiality that are significant and important to maintain and preserve.

The material, the craftsmanship and the architectural appearance are of very high architectural value and must be protected for future generation.

Traces of timber construction fixed in wall

Brickwork of the retaining wall

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Ecclesiastical atmosphere

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View looking up in the northern sugar mill

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Entering the “bat cave”.

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The retaining wall

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Conservation values

The conservation values summarize the environmental, culturehistorical and architectural values for Castle Coakley, St. Croix described on the previous pages.

The conservation values attach to the two sugar mills which are the most dominating feature of Castle Coakley along with the landscape around them. The functionality of the mills, the placing on the hilltop and the unifying retaining walls are very immediate and visible. The two sugar mills are landmarks on St. Croix and they stand monumental in the landscape as massive cones. With the retaining wall enclosing the mills and the almost forest like boundary around the Great House, the site is clearly defined and the sloping landscape creates an excitement walking or driving up to the sugar mills.

The

conservation

values

also

attach

to

the

architectural

significance of the sugar mills together with the monumental underground tunnels and the wells. Even though all openings on the mills were constructed with a functionalistic purpose, they are a characteristic part of the mills’ appearance. They create a play of light inside the mills and especially the tall and narrow opening creates an ecclesiastical atmosphere that are stunning. The sugar mills on Castle Coakley represent architectural materiality, craftsmanship and history that are unique and must be conserved.

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Shelly (local) exploring Castle Coakley

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Bibliography

All pictures and illustration that are not referenced are either taken or drawn by me.

Ausherman, B., Chapman, W. and Lewis, C. (1984). National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form. St. Thomas.

Morgen, M. (2015). VEJLEDNING - VURDERING AF FREDNINGSVÆRDIER. Copenhagen.

Whaley, S. (2017). Castle Coakley.

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The northern sugar mill

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Amal Abdi Ashur Master’s Thesis 2017 Appendix #1