Victoria Grist Windmill
Encyclopedia
Victoria Grist Windmill is an historic gristmill
in Memorial Square in Victoria, Texas
, United States
. The windmill was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 30, 1976 and became an American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Landmark in May, 1991.
The windmill
was built in 1870 and is probably the last remaining windmill of Europe
an design in the Southwestern United States
. Standing 35 feet high and supporting four 15-foot blades, the Dutch
turret-mill style windmill was constructed by German
immigrant Fred Meiss, Jr. and Otto Fiek near Spring Creek. The turret-style allowed the top to be turned so the sails face the wind. The millstone
s were made in Europe and shipped through the port of Indianola
. The stones were capable of grinding 500 pounds of cornmeal
a week. The walls of the mill are constructed of wooden logs and covered with shakes
. In 1935, the Victoria Grist Windmill was moved from its earlier location (west of Victoria) to Memorial Square.
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
in Memorial Square in Victoria, Texas
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The windmill was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 30, 1976 and became an American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
Landmark in May, 1991.
The windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
was built in 1870 and is probably the last remaining windmill of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an design in the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
. Standing 35 feet high and supporting four 15-foot blades, the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
turret-mill style windmill was constructed by German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrant Fred Meiss, Jr. and Otto Fiek near Spring Creek. The turret-style allowed the top to be turned so the sails face the wind. The millstone
Millstone
Millstones or mill stones are used in windmills and watermills, including tide mills, for grinding wheat or other grains.The type of stone most suitable for making millstones is a siliceous rock called burrstone , an open-textured, porous but tough, fine-grained sandstone, or a silicified,...
s were made in Europe and shipped through the port of Indianola
Indianola, Texas
Indianola is a ghost town located on Matagorda Bay in Calhoun County, Texas, United States. The community, once the county seat of Calhoun County, is a part of the Victoria, Texas, Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1875, the city had a population of 5,000, but on September 15 of that year, a...
. The stones were capable of grinding 500 pounds of cornmeal
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is flour ground from dried maize or American corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to fine, medium, and coarse consistencies. In the United States, the finely ground cornmeal is also referred to as cornflour. However, the word cornflour denotes cornstarch in recipes from the...
a week. The walls of the mill are constructed of wooden logs and covered with shakes
Shake (shingle)
A shake is a basic wooden shingle that is made from split logs. Shakes have traditionally been used for roofing and siding applications around the world. Higher grade shakes are typically used for roofing purposes, while the lower grades are used for siding purposes...
. In 1935, the Victoria Grist Windmill was moved from its earlier location (west of Victoria) to Memorial Square.