List of windmills in New York facts for kids

This is a list of amazing windmills you can find in the state of New York in the United States. Windmills are special buildings or structures that use the power of the wind to turn large blades. These blades then power machines inside, often to grind grain into flour or pump water. They were super important in the past for daily life!

Discovering New York's Historic Windmills

New York has many interesting windmills, some still standing and some that were important long ago. Here's a look at some of them, with their building dates in bold text. If a date isn't bold, it means it's the first time we know about the windmill.

Windmills on Long Island

Long Island is home to many famous windmills, especially in the Hamptons area.

Amagansett's Windmills

• The Hayground Windmill was built in 1815 in Amagansett. It was moved to a different spot in Amagansett in 1829.

The Hayground Windmill, built in 1815.

• The Amagansett Mill Company windmill, built in 1814, sadly burned down in 1924.

The Amagansett Mill Company windmill.

• A cool replica, the Aquebogue Windmill replica, was built in Aquebogue, New York in 2008. It was made using the original plans for the Pantigo windmill!

The Aquebogue Windmill replica.

• The Quail Hill Farms Cottage Mill from 1810 in Amagansett is unique. It was a windmill that was later turned into a cottage in 1950! Famous people like Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller even stayed there. It's also known as Deep Lane Cottage.

The Quail Hill Farms Cottage Mill.

• The Amagansett Mill Reform Inn Replica was built in 1925 in Amagansett. It's a copy of the Amagansett mill that burned down the year before.

The Amagansett Mill Reform Inn Replica.

Brooklyn and Babylon's Windmills

• The Vanderveer Windmill Farm Mill in Vlacke Bos (now part of Brooklyn) was built in 1805. It was 28 feet tall! Sadly, it was destroyed by fire in 1879. Its stone foundation stayed for 75 years.

The Vanderveer Windmill Farm Mill.

• In West Babylon, there's a West Babylon Windmill replica built in 1984. It's on the village green and is part of a historic district.

The West Babylon Windmill replica.

• The Bulk's Garden Center Windmill in West Babylon was built in 1929 but was taken down in 1983.

Other Long Island Mills

• The Conover Mill in Bay Shore was built in 1880.
• The Dix Windmill in Westhampton Beach was built in 1870. It was used to pump water for a summer mansion and was moved to a large lawn in 2023.

The Dix Windmill.

• The Beebe Mill in Bridgehampton was first built around 1830. It was moved within Bridgehampton in 1889. A later version of the Beebe Mill was built in Bridgehampton in 1915.

The Beebe Mill in Bridgehampton.

• The Sag Harbor Visitor's Center Windmill replica in Sag Harbor was built in 1966. It's a copy of the Beebe Mill and stands on Long Wharf.

The Sag Harbor Visitor's Center Windmill replica.

A plaque marking the replica mill.

East Hampton's Many Windmills

East Hampton is especially rich in windmill history.

• The Edwin DeRose Windmill Cottage in East Hampton was built in 1926. It's a replica of a windmill built right into a large cottage.

The Edwin DeRose Windmill Cottage.

• The Gardiners Island Mill in East Hampton was first built in 1771. It was moved on Gardiner's Island in 1795. Another Gardiners Island Mill was built in 1795 and was painted white to help ships navigate! It was last used in 1889.

The Gardiners Island Windmill.

• The John Lyon Gardiner Mill in East Hampton was built in 1804. It's still in its original spot near a village pond. The cottage was rebuilt in 2015.

The John Lyon Gardiner Mill.

• The Hayground Mill was built in 1801 in Haye Ground. It was moved within East Hampton to the Pantigo beach estate in 1950. The Hayground Mill was then moved to the dunes on Windmill Lane in 1950.

The Hayground Mill.

The Hayground Mill after being moved.

• The Hook Mill in East Hampton, built in 1806, is a beautifully restored windmill.

The Hook Windmill.

• The Wainscott Mill in East Hampton was built in 1940.

The Wainscott Mill.

• The Hunting Miller's Mill (Pantigo) was built in 1804 in East Hampton and was moved several times.
• The Schellinger Mill, also known as 'Pantigo', was moved within East Hampton in 1850 and 1917.
• The Mulford Farm Mill (Pantigo) was moved from Pantigo Road to Mulford Farm in 1917. It has a weather vane from 1771!

Sign at Mulford Farmhouse.

• The Pantigo Mill in East Hampton was built in 1804. It also has a 1771 weather vane.

The Pantigo Mill.

Other New York Windmills

• The Good Ground Mill in Hampton Bays was built around 1807. It was moved from Shelter Island to Good Ground in the 1860s and then to Southampton in 1880, where it became part of a seaside cottage.
• The Peconic Windmill in Southold was built as a tidal mill in 1840, and a windmill was added in 1870. A big blizzard in 1898 destroyed the windmill part.

The Goldsmith's Inlet Windmill.

• The Hofstra Mill in Hempstead was built in 1903.
• The Hewlett Mill in Hewlett was built in 1791.
• The Sammis Mill in Huntington was a unique vertical axle mill built in 1825.
• The Norman Levy Park windmill in Freeport was built in 2000. It sits on top of an old landfill and helps circulate fresh water in two man-made ponds for wildlife.

The Norman Levy Park Windpump.

• The Arthur W. B. Wood House & Mill Replica in Montauk was built in 1928. This windmill is actually part of a house and is just for decoration! It's the only windmill house in Montauk.

The Arthur W. B. Wood House & Mill Replica.

Early Windmills in New York City

• The Bowerie Windmill in Nieuw Amsterdam (now Manhattan) was built in 1663 by the Dutch. It was outside the city limits and kept grinding flour even after the English took control in 1664.

An old drawing of New Amsterdam, showing a windmill.

• The Beaver Trail Windmill in Nieuw Amsterdam was built even earlier, around 1628. It was near the fort at the tip of Manhattan.

A map showing New Amsterdam and its early windmill.

Upstate New York Windmills

• The McConnell's Mill
  Stone Mill in Morristown was built in 1825. It's special because it's the only stone windmill on the American side of the St. Lawrence Valley and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

McConnell's Mill, a stone windmill.

• The Gladden Mill in Napoli was built in 1890. This was a vertical wind turbine! It has been taken apart and moved to Conewango, New York.

More Long Island Windmills

• The Bourne Windmill in Oakdale was a tower windmill built in 1911. It was taken down between 2004 and 2005.

The Bourne Windmill in 1975.

• The Orient windmills in Orient were built in 1810. One of these was moved to Glen Island in 1898 but burned down a year later.

The Orient Point Windmill.

• The Sagamore Hill windpump windmill in Sagamore Hill, Oyster Bay, was built in 1905. This windmill is a replica of ones that President Theodore Roosevelt had installed to pump fresh water to his house!

The Sagamore Hill Windpump Windmill.

• The Remsenburg Academy windmill in Eastport was built in 1925. It's a "spider-legged" windpump.

The Remsenburg Academy Windmill.

• The Remsenburg lodge windmill in Eastport was built in 1825. This windmill was turned into a laundry room for a nearby pool!

The Remsenburg Lodge Windmill.

• The Beebe Mill in Sag Harbor was built in 1820. It was moved many times, including to Bridgehampton, and was once used to signal when whaling ships were spotted!

The Beebe Windmill in Sag Harbor.

• The Shelter Island Mill in Shelter Island was built in 1810. It was moved to Shelter Island by a barge!

The Shelter Island Mill.

• The Good Ground Mill on Shelter Island was built in 1807 and moved to Hampton Bays in 1860.
• The Sylvester's Mill on Shelter Island was built in 1839. It was moved in 1926 to the grounds of Sylvester Manor.

Sylvester's Mill.

Southampton's Windmills

• A very old windmill in Southampton was replaced by Mill Hill I. It burned down before 1813.
• Another windmill in Southampton, Mill Hill II, was built in 1813 and moved to Wainscott in 1840.
• The Good Ground Mill in Southampton was built in 1890. It was originally built on Shelter Island in 1807 and moved twice before ending up in Southampton.

The Good Ground Windmill in 1876.

• The Windmill Lane Mill I in Southampton was built in 1712 and moved to a site next to Shinnecock Golf Club in Southampton in 1890.

The Shinnecock Mill cottage.

• The Mill Hill Mill I, now at Southampton College, was moved to Southampton in 1890. It's said to be haunted by a girl who died after a fall there!

The Southampton College Windmill.

• The Shinnecock Hills Mill in Southampton was built in 1814. It was part of a large estate and later became the Tucker Mill Inn resort.

The Shinnecock Hills Mill cottage.

• The National Links Mill in Southampton was moved from Europe to the National Golf Links in 1916. It was placed between two golf holes!

The National Links Mill.

Southold and St. James Windmills

• Mill Hill I in Southold was built in 1810 and moved to Shelter Island in 1839.
• The Mill Hill II in Southold was built in 1806 in Brooklyn Heights, then moved to New Jersey, and finally to Southold in 1839.

Isaac Edge's Windmill.

• The Butler Windmill in St. James was a huge, 150-foot-high tower built in 1894. It was designed to be one of the strongest and highest windpumps in the world, pumping water to a reservoir a mile away!

The Butler Windmill.

Water Mill and Wainscott Windmills

• The Corwith Mill was built at Hog Neck in Sag Harbor in 1800 and moved to Water Mill in 1814.

The Corwith Mill in Water Mill.

• The Corwith Mill in Water Mill was moved there in 1814.

The Corwith Mill in Water Mill.

• The Water Mill Windmill in Water Mill was built in 1800 and moved to Water Mill in 1814.

The Water Mill Windmill.

• The Wainscott Mill in Wainscott was built in 1840. This windmill had quite a journey! It was moved many times, even becoming the Wainscott Public Library for a while, and later merged into a cottage.

The Wainscott Windmill.

Timeline of New York Windmills

Here's a list of windmills in New York, ordered by when they were built or first known. Many of these windmills were moved over the years, showing how important they were!

• 1628: Beaver Trail Windmill (City Hall Park), Nieuw Amsterdam
  • This was one of the very first windmills in the area, showing the early Dutch influence in New York. It was located near Fort Amsterdam.
• 1663: Bowerie Windmill, Nieuw Amsterdam
  • Built on the farm of Governor Peter Stuyvesant, this windmill kept working even after the English took over New York from the Dutch.
• 1713: Windmill Lane Mill I, Southampton
  • This mill was later moved to Shinnecock Hills in 1890 and turned into a cottage.
• 1771: Gardiner’s Island Mill I, East Hampton
  • This mill was in disrepair after the Revolutionary War and was replaced by a new one.
• 1791: Hewlett Mill, Hewlett
  • The Hewlett Mill was very important for grinding grain in the local area.
• 1795: Gardiners Island Windmill, East Hampton
  • This windmill was painted white to help ships find their way! It was used until 1889.
• 1799: Corwith Mill, Hog Neck, Sag Harbor
  • This mill was later moved to Water Mill in 1814.
• 1801: Haye Grounde Windmill, Hayground
  • This windmill was moved to Pantigo Beach in 1850.
• 1804: John Lyon Gardiner Windmill & Cottage, East Hampton
  • A charming example of early 19th-century windmill architecture, the cottage was rebuilt in 2021.
• 1804: Huntting Miller’s Mill, East Hampton
  • This mill had a complex history of moves and name changes, eventually becoming the Mulford Farm Mill.
• 1805: Vanderveer Windmill Farm Mill, Vlacke Bos
  • This windmill in Brooklyn was part of the area's farming history.
• 1806: Hook Windmill, East Hampton
  • This beautiful windmill was completely rebuilt in 2018.
• 1806: Isaac Edge’s Mill
  • This mill was moved several times, ending up in Southold in 1840.
• 1807: Good Ground Windmill, Shelter Island
  • This windmill traveled a lot, moving to Hampton Bays in 1860 and then to Southampton in 1880, becoming a symbol of the "Southampton Summer Colony."
• 1810: Mill Hill I, Southold
  • This mill played a big role in the local milling traditions.
• 1810: Southold Mills, Southold
  • One of these mills was moved to Glen Island to be part of a summer resort.
• 1810: Red Mill, Southold
  • This mill was moved to Shelter Island in 1839 and is now part of the Sylvester’s Mill Farm Museum.
• 1810: Quail Hill Farms Cottage Mill, Amagansett
  • This windmill was converted into a cottage in 1950 by a perfume mogul!
• 1813: Wainscott Mill, Windmill Lane II, Southampton
  • This mill was moved many times, eventually settling near Georgica Pond in 1943.
• 1820: Beebe Windmill, Sag Harbor
  • This windmill was moved to Bridgehampton and other locations, and was once used to signal whaling ships.
• 1825: McConnell's Mill (Stone Mill), Morristown
  • This is a unique stone windmill, the only one of its kind on the American side of the St. Lawrence Valley.
• 1825: Sammis Mill, Huntington
  • This mill is a lasting symbol of the area's milling heritage.
• 1829: Amagansett Windmill, Amagansett
  • This picturesque windmill sadly burned down in 1924.
• 1839: Goldsmith’s Inlet Tidemill
  • A windmill was added to this tidal mill in 1870, but it was destroyed by a blizzard in 1898.
• 1870: Dix Windmill, Westhampton Beach
  • This windmill was originally built to provide indoor plumbing for a mansion.
• 1880: Conover Mill, Bay Shore
  • An important landmark representing late 19th-century milling.
• 1890: Gladden Mill, Napoli
  • This was a unique vertical wind turbine.
• 1892: Odd Fellows Windmill, Hollis, Queens
  • A unique windmill design in Queens.
• 1894: Butler Windmill, St. James
  • A very tall (150-foot) windmill designed to be one of the strongest in the world for pumping water.
• 1903: Hofstra Mill, Hempstead
  • This mill reflects early 20th-century milling architecture.
• 1905: Sagamore Hill Windpump Windmill, Oyster Bay
  • A replica of the windmills President Teddy Roosevelt used to pump water to his home.
• 1911: Bourne Windmill, Oakdale
  • This farm tower windmill was taken down in 2005.
• 1925: Remsenburg Academy Windmill, Eastport
  • A charming "spider-legged" windpump.
• 1925: Remsenburg Lodge Windmill, Eastport
  • This windmill was converted into a laundry room!
• 1925: Amagansett Mill Reform Inn Replica
  • Built to remember the Amagansett mill that burned down.
• 1926: Edwin DeRose Windmill Cottage, East Hampton
  • A windmill built into a cottage.
• 1928: Arthur W.B. Wood House and Mill replica, Montauk
  • This windmill is a decorative part of a house.
• 1929: Bulk's Garden Center Windmill, West Babylon
  • Showed the continued use of wind power in the area.
• 1966: Sag Harbor Visitor's Center Windmill Replica
  • A modern tribute to the area's historic windmills.
• 1984: West Babylon Windmill Replica
  • A modern copy of a traditional windmill design.
• 2000: Norman Levy Park Windpump, Freeport
  • A contemporary windmill used to help wildlife habitats.
• 2008: Aquebogue Windmill, Riverhead
  • A modern windmill built using old plans.

Images for kids

• 1930s picture of Bulk's Windmill.jpg

  A 1930s picture of Bulk's Windmill.

• 1955 picture of Bulk's Windmill.jpg

  A 1955 picture of Bulk's Windmill.