Estate Retreat Timeline

Compiled from David Knight’s Speaking Notes for the St. John Historical Society, February 2008

DateEvent
1728The property that would become known as Retreat is originally granted to Niles Anderson.
c1755The neighboring Mt. Pleasant estate, is formed by the merger of four early land grants (Pier Castan, 1725; David Bordeaux, 1726; Barent Langemak, 1728; Reynier Volkers, 1725) by Lieven Marche
1779-1782Retreat is briefly merged with estate Hermitage by Dederich Kervink
1786-1800Mt. Pleasant is briefly merged with Hermitage under the common ownership of Dr. Edmond Borck -- hence the name Borck’s Creek for the bay that fronts the Hermitage property.
1800Probate for deceased Elisabeth Richardson and her surviving husband, John Richard Richardson, names newborn William Richardson as one of two heirs to their East End property (Retreat)* This suggests that the marriage of Maria Coakley (of Mt. Pleasant) to William Richardson (of Retreat) is the event that first united the two properties.
c1805Mt. Pleasant owner Joseph Coakley formally acquires Retreat, creating the estate known as Mt. Pleasant & Retreat
1828-c1880Estate Mt. Pleasant & Retreat is recorded in tax rolls as belong to Maria Coakley Richardson.**
1848William Richardson dies, leaving his wife as sole heir to Mt Pleasant & Retreat. ***
c1880Mt Pleasant & Retreat is purchased by John James Moore, an heir to the Hermitage estate.
c1895John James Moore also acquires estates Turners Point and Haulover.
1910John J. Moore sold all his properties, Mount Pleasant & Retreat, Hermitage, Turners Point and Haulover, to A.H. Lockhart of St Thomas.

*1800 RA/VLA/SJL Probate. Madame Elisabeth Richardson, d: 6/18/1800, Skiftebrev 7/9/00

**1828 RA/VLA/SJL Probate “Robert Williamson Richardson Bachelor of the island of St. Croix and Maria Coakley spinster of the Island of St. John were married in this parish by license this ninth day of April in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty two…”

***1847 RA/VLA/SJL Probate Folio #9 Robert Williamson Richardson, 8 April 1847

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