Fabyan Windmill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fabyan Windmill |
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Fabyan Windmill in June 2008
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| Origin | |
| Mill name | Old Holland Mill Old Dutch Mill Dutch Windmill Dutch Mill |
| Mill location | Geneva Township, Kane County, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°52′17″N 88°18′21″W / 41.87139°N 88.30583°W |
| Operator(s) | Friedrich Brockmann (1875—1887) Louis Frederick Blackhaus (1875—1877) Herman Volberduig (1877—1885) Fred Runge (1887—1914) Colonel George Fabyan (1914—1939) Kane County Forest Preserve (1939—present) |
| Year built | Between 1848 - 1880 (estimated) |
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Dutch Mill
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| Nearest city | Batavia, Illinois |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | c. 1860 |
| Architectural style | Dutch Smock Mill |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000843 |
| Added to NRHP | June 4, 1979 |
The Fabyan Windmill is a real, working Dutch windmill. It was built around the 1850s. You can find it in Geneva, Kane County, Illinois, just north of Batavia, Illinois.
This amazing five-story wooden mill stands about 68 feet (21 meters) tall. It used to be on Colonel George Fabyan's property. Now, it's part of the Kane County Forest Preserve District.
In 1979, the windmill was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was called the Dutch Mill then. The next year, it even appeared on a U.S. postage stamp! It was one of five windmills in a special stamp booklet. Originally, it was used to grind grain for people.
The Windmill's Story
How the Windmill Was Built
The Fabyan Windmill was built by German builders, Louis Blackhaus and Freidrick Brockmann. This happened in the mid-1800s. It was first located near Elmhurst and Oak Brook, in what is now Lombard, Illinois.
Moving a Giant Windmill
By the early 1900s, the windmill was old and broken. In 1914, a man named George Fabyan bought it. He paid about $8,000 for it. He then decided to move it to his estate in Geneva Township. This move happened in July 1915.
Moving the windmill was a huge job. Colonel Fabyan spent around $75,000 to move and rebuild it. A company from West Chicago carefully took it apart. Workers carved Roman numerals into the wooden beams. This helped them put it back together correctly. Some very large beams needed a team of mules to pull them.
A Danish millwright named Rasmussen, with John Johnson and six others, rebuilt the windmill. It took 19 months to finish the move and reconstruction. People thought it was special because it was one of the only fully automatic wind-powered mills of its kind.
Becoming a Forest Preserve Treasure
George Fabyan passed away in 1936. His wife died two years later. In 1938, the Kane County Forest Preserve District bought the estate. They paid $70,500 for it.
Inside the Windmill
Built Without Nails
The windmill's giant cypress wood beams are trimmed with black walnut. They are all joined by hand using wooden dowels. There are no metal nails inside the main structure! Even the original gears were handmade from hickory and maple wood. Each of the five floors has different mechanisms.
Grinding Grain for All
The Fabyan Windmill was a working mill. The Fabyan family used it to grind different types of grain. This included corn, wheat, rye, and oats. It also ground grain for Colonel Fabyan's special Jersey cattle.
How Wind Makes it Work
At the very top of the mill, called the cap, is a huge cogged wheel. This is the brake wheel. Wind pushes against the sails, making the brake wheel turn. The sails are covered with canvas cloths to catch the wind better. When Fabyan bought the mill, the sails were missing. Rasmussen and John Johnson had to rebuild them. The sails stretch out over 74 feet (22.5 meters).
The brake wheel turns an upright shaft that runs down through the mill. This shaft provides power for all the mill's operations.
Automatic Features
The mill had a clever system of belt-driven elevators. These elevators moved grains from chutes to hoppers. They even moved grain from one floor to another. This made the mill almost fully automatic. In most other mills, workers had to shovel materials by hand.
The Mystery Bakery
During its reconstruction, a new foundation was built, creating a basement. Ovens were installed in the basement. Their vents and chimney went underground, even under Route 25! It is believed that the windmill basement might have been a working bakery at one time. Some say it made bread for the Fabyan family and their two bears during World War I.
Why the Windmill is Special
This wind-powered mill is quite rare in the United States. Most mills here used water power. Its wooden gears and construction without nails are very interesting. They show amazing technical and architectural skills.
The mill also shows how George Fabyan, a rich merchant, wanted to make his estate beautiful. He bought and moved the old mill for this reason. He kept it as a private mill, not for making money.
The Windmill Today
Saving a Landmark
In 1990, the windmill became unsafe for visitors. The county even thought about tearing it down. But local people fought to save it. In 1997, the Forest Preserve District hired Lucas Verbij. He is a third-generation Dutch windmill maker. He fully restored the windmill for over $900,000. It opened to the public again in June 2005.
Lucas Verbij said, "The Fabyan Windmill is the best example of an authentic Dutch windmill in the United States, actually it's a treasure and would be the most popular windmill in the Netherlands (we currently have 1000 windmills)."
Still Grinding Grain
Today, the grinding parts of the mill are fully restored. Volunteers use them to give demonstrations to visitors. You can see how flour is made!
The varnish from 1915 is still in great condition. This is because the mill's excellent construction keeps the inside climate steady. The Roman numeral markings carved into the beams are still visible too. They remind us of the careful work done to rebuild it.
