Sion Hill is a settlement on the island of
Saint Croix, in the
United States Virgin Islands.
History
The Sion Hill estate, a former
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...
plantation, was the economic center of the area. The stone Danish colonial era
plantation house, windmill base, and sugar processing factory buildings are now in ruins.
The windmill was used to power a
sugar mill
A sugar cane mill is a factory that processes sugar cane to produce raw or white sugar.
The term is also used to refer to the equipment that crushes the sticks of sugar cane to extract the juice.
Processing
There are a number of steps in pro ...
for crushing the
sugar cane harvested on the plantation.
Sion Hill estate
The
sugar plantation
A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...
and
rum distillery
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heati ...
was established in the 18th century. The estate passed through several owners while it was in operation. The
great house, the main residence on the plantation, is a one-story
Classical Revival limestone building completed in 1765. The factory and grinding mill, the two primary buildings used for sugar production, were also made of limestone; the distillery is located within the factory building. The property also includes a
cookhouse and a stable.
The plantation was added to the
National Register of Historic Places on July 19, 1976.
See also
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Sugar production in the Danish West Indies
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Sugar plantations in the Caribbean
References
External links
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Historic American Buildings Survey documentation, filed under Sion Hill, St. Croix, VI:
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Houses in the United States Virgin Islands
Sugar plantations in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Plantations in the Danish West Indies
Populated places in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Houses completed in 1765
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States Virgin Islands
Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States Virgin Islands
1765 establishments in North America
1760s establishments in the Caribbean
1760s establishments in Denmark
18th century in the Danish West Indies
Neoclassical architecture in the United States
Historic American Buildings Survey in the United States Virgin Islands
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