Mills

Windmill - Saint-François

Saint-François has 19 windmills that share a number of common features:  heights of between 8 and 9 meters, diameters of approximately 5 meters, and a west-facing primary opening. The walls of these mills were usually coated with a lime-based whitewash, and their arched openings are constructed of dressed stone. Their largest openings are usually surmounted by a keystone bearing an emblem, coat of arms, or inscription associating the mill with a specific plantation, duly authenticated, and sometimes the name of the skilled craftsman who built the mill. Moulin de Guyot (“Guyot Mill”) was built in 1846 according to traditional methods using limestone rubble. It has a handsome keystone. Moulin de Baie Sainte-Marie features a pink heart over the main semicircular arch. Bien-Désirée Mill, built in 1826, bears the name of the mason engraved above the keystone. Belle-Allée Mill, built in 1827, also features an inscribed keystone. The former Saint-Jacques sugar plantation still retains its mill and smokestack.