List of windmills in the United States

This is a list of "traditional" windmills in the United States, which usually are gristmills.

In this nation more than others, "windmill" is often used to refer to what are properly termed windpumps bringing up water for agriculture. This is at least partly due to usage by windpump builders Eclipse Windmill Company (1873) and Aermotor Windmill Company (1888, the sole surviving US "windmill" manufacturer[1]). And it is also used by many to refer to modern wind turbines generating electricity.

This list aims to include only traditional-type windmills, with the exception that it also includes NRHP-listed historic windpumps known as windmills, such as the "Iron Turbine Windmill" in Arizona.

Windmills having coordinates below may be seen together in a map: click on "Map all coordinates using OpenSourceMap" at right of this page.

Arizona

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Iron Turbine mill Prescott
34°32′30″N 112°28′27″W / 34.54167°N 112.47417°W / 34.54167; -112.47417 (Iron Turbine Mill)
Iron windpump 1876

California

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Murphy Windmill San Francisco Smock 1905 Appeared in the film A Jitney Elopement starring Charlie Chaplin
Windmill World
Dutch Windmill San Francisco Tower 1902 Windmill World
Solvang Smock

Florida

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Windmill Carl Fisher Casino, Miami Beach Tower 1920[2] 1926[2]

Illinois

[edit]

Indiana

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Robertson Mill Kendalville Post 2000[3] Replica of Robertson Mill, Williamsburg, Virginia[3]

Iowa

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Danish Mill Elk Horn
41°35′22″N 95°03′37″W / 41.58957°N 95.060371°W / 41.58957; -95.060371 (Danish Mill)
Smock 1976[4] Built in 1848 at Nørre-Snede, Denmark. Dismantled 1975 and re-erected at Elk Horn in 1976.[4]
Vermeer Mill Pella Historical Village, Pella
41°24′23″N 92°54′52″W / 41.40649°N 92.91446°W / 41.40649; -92.91446 (Vermeer Mill)
Smock 2002[5]

Kansas

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Windmill Reamsville Smock 1879[6] Moved to Smith Center, 1938[6]
Old Dutch Mill Smith Center
39°46.85′N 98°47.04′W / 39.78083°N 98.78400°W / 39.78083; -98.78400 (Old Dutch Mill)
Smock 1938[6]
Old Dutch Mill Wamego
39°12′13″N 96°18′08″W / 39.20361°N 96.30222°W / 39.20361; -96.30222 (Old Dutch Mill)
Tower 1925[7]
Windmill near Wamego (12 miles (19 km) north of town) Tower 1879[7] Dismantled 1925 and re-erected at Wamego.[7]

Maine

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Bailey Farm mill Anson
44°51′45″N 69°55′49″W / 44.86250°N 69.93028°W / 44.86250; -69.93028 (Bailey Farm mill)
1905
Hatch's Mill Castine c1800[8]
1815[8]
Windmill at 12 Madockawando Rd. 12 Madockawando Rd., Castine
44°23′01″N 68°48′38″W / 44.38355°N 68.81064°W / 44.38355; -68.81064 (Windmill at 12 Madockawando Rd.)
"antique windmill folly was built as a piano studio over a century ago"[9]

Massachusetts

[edit]

Michigan

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Greenfield Mill Dearborn Smock 1660 in Massachusetts Windmill World
Hickory Corners Smock 1927 Moved here from Heeg, Friesland, Netherlands.[10]
De Zwaan Holland Smock 1761 in the Netherlands

Minnesota

[edit]
Location Name of mill
and coordinates
Type Built Notes Image
Seppman Mill Minneopa State Park, Mankato
44°09′44″N 94°06′08″W / 44.162188°N 94.102180°W / 44.162188; -94.102180 (Seppman Mill)
Tower 1864

Missouri

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Bevo Mill St. Louis
38°34′54″N 90°16′01″W / 38.58174°N 90.26697°W / 38.58174; -90.26697 (Bevo Mill)
Smock

New Jersey

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Volendam Mill Holland Township
40°35′48″N 75°09′50″W / 40.5966°N 75.1639°W / 40.5966; -75.1639 (Volendam Mill)
Smock 1965
Great Western Mill]] Paulus Hook, New Jersey
40°43′00″N 74°02′01″W / 40.71659°N 74.03348°W / 40.71659; -74.03348 (Great Western Mill)
Smock 1806 Edge's father shipped it to him from England. Built in Brooklyn Heights, moved to Paulus Hook 1812, moved to Southold 1839, Burnt 1870 ]]

New Mexico

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Eclipse mill Moriarty
34°59′48″N 106°04′55″W / 34.99667°N 106.08194°W / 34.99667; -106.08194 (Moriarty Eclipse Windmill)
1890

New York

[edit]

Rhode Island

[edit]

South Carolina

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Windmill Marsh Island 1789 Demolished 1852.[11]

South Dakota

[edit]
Location Name of mill
and coordinates
Type Built Notes Image
Holland Grist Windmill Milbank
45°13′18″N 96°37′10″W / 45.22167°N 96.61944°W / 45.22167; -96.61944 (Holland Grist Mill)
Smock mill 1882 Windmill World

Tennessee

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
McKenzie Windmill Georgetown
35°21′23″N 84°54′55″W / 35.35639°N 84.91528°W / 35.35639; -84.91528 (McKenzie Windmill)
Iron windpump 1931

Texas

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Canon Ranch Railroad Eclipse Windmill Sheffield
30°44′44″N 101°58′30″W / 30.74556°N 101.97500°W / 30.74556; -101.97500 (Canon Ranch Railroad Eclipse Windmill)
Iron windpump 1898
Victoria Grist Windmill Victoria
28°48′04″N 97°00′05″W / 28.80111°N 97.00139°W / 28.80111; -97.00139 (Victoria Grist Windmill)
Smock 1870

Vermont

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Windmill Alburgh Tower c1731[8] Standing 1749[8]

Virginia

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Flowerdew Hundred Mill Flowerdew Hundred 1612[12]
Flowerdew Hundred Mill Flowerdew Hundred Post 1978[13]
Robertson Mill Williamsburg Post 1621[14] Standing in 1723.[14]
Robertson Mill Williamsburg Post [13]
Buckner's Mill Yorktown Smock 1711 [15] Destroyed by tornado in late 19th century
Akers′ Mill Yorktown Smock 2011 [16] Reconstruction of William Buckner's Mill near original site

Washington

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Cambern Mill Spokane
47°38′43″N 117°23′20″W / 47.64528°N 117.38889°W / 47.64528; -117.38889 (Cambern Dutch Shop Windmill)
1929

Wisconsin

[edit]
Windmill Location Type Built Notes Image
Davidson Windmill Superior
46°38′56″N 91°54′21″W / 46.64889°N 91.90583°W / 46.64889; -91.90583 (Davidson Mill)
Smock 1900[17] Eight sails[17]
Little Chute Windmill Little Chute
44°17′3″N 88°18′49″W / 44.28417°N 88.31361°W / 44.28417; -88.31361 (Little Chute Windmill)
Smock Constructed by Verbij Hoogmade BV[citation needed]
Waupun Dutch Windmill Waupun
44°17′3″N 88°18′49″W / 44.28417°N 88.31361°W / 44.28417; -88.31361 (Waupun Dutch Windmill)
Smock
Pilgrim Family Farmstead
Windmill at Robert M. Lamp Cottage Lake Mendota, Madison Windmill built 1902–03 to bring water to Frank Lloyd Wright-designed cottage on an island in Lake Mendota.
Romeo and Juliet Windmill

Insular Areas

[edit]

Puerto Rico

[edit]
Windmill Type Built Notes Image
Ingenio Azucarero Vives[18] Guayama
17°58′45″N 66°7′3″W / 17.97917°N 66.11750°W / 17.97917; -66.11750 (Ingenio Azucarero Vives)
Tower 1828 Spanish colonial sugar mill

US Virgin Islands

[edit]
Windmill Type Built Notes Image
Estate La Reine
Estate Mount Victory

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

Known building dates are in bold text. Non-bold text denotes first known date. Iron windpumps are outside the scope of this list unless listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sources

[edit]
  • Pulling, Anne Frances; Leeds, Gerald A. (1999). Windmills and Water Mills of Long Island. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. ISBN 0-7385-0288-X.
  • Lombardo, Donald (2003). Windmills of New England, Their Genius, Madness, History & Future. Cape Cod, MA: On Cape Publications. ISBN 0-9719547-7-1.
  • Unless stated otherwise, the source for all entries is the Windmill World website.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "A History We're Proud Of: Aermotor Windmill Company". Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Carl Fisher casino, Miami Beach, Florida". Windmill World. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  3. ^ a b "Robertson Post Windmill". Mid-America Windmill Museum. Archived from the original on 23 May 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  4. ^ a b "Windmill History". The Danish Windmill. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  5. ^ "Vermeer Mill & Interpretive Center". Pella Historical Village. Archived from the original on 27 November 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  6. ^ a b c "Old Dutch Mill". Ohio Barns. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  7. ^ a b c "Old Dutch Mill". Ohio Barns. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  8. ^ a b c d Lombardo, Donald (2003). Windmills of New England, Their Genius, Madness, History & Future. Cape Cod, MA: On Cape Publications. ISBN 0-9719547-7-1.
  9. ^ "Maine Listings: 12 Madocakawando Rd". Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  10. ^ "Heeg/ Heech, Fryslân, Fryslân". Amsterdam: De Hollandsche Molens. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Museum around the Corner: Marsh Island". South Strand News. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  12. ^ "ABRAHAM PEIRSEY of JAMESTOWNE, VIRGINIA". Paul E. Pennebaker. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  13. ^ a b "Windmills of Virginia". Windmill World. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  14. ^ a b "The Miller and the Windmill". Colonial Williamsburg. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  15. ^ Walt Akers. "Historic References to the Yorktown Windmill". Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  16. ^ "Yorktown Windmill Project". Twisted Oaks Foundation. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  17. ^ a b "Davidson Windmill". Waymarking. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  18. ^ Antonio E. Colberg (1976). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Ingenio Azucarero Vives / Hacienda Vives". National Park Service. Retrieved 2023-03-04. with ten photos from 1976