De Zwaan (Dutch for "The Swan") is an eight-sided Dutch smock mill at Windmill Island Gardens in Holland, Michigan. The mill was constructed at Vinkel, North Brabant, in 1884 using structural and mechanical components from older Dutch mills. It was dismantled and moved to Holland, Michigan, in 1964 and reconstructed there in 1964–1965.
De Zwaan remains a wind-powered grain mill. A 2023 regional history article described it as the only authentic operational Dutch windmill in the United States. The mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 17, 2018.
History
Origins in the Netherlands The grain mill erected at Vinkel in 1884 was built using an eight-sided timber structure and machinery from older mills. National Register documentation identifies Henricus Franciscus de Vocht as its builder and states that some of its components dated to the early 19th century. The City of Holland likewise describes the Vinkel mill as having been constructed in 1884 from parts of older mills.
Research published in 2015 associated the principal windmill structure with a sawmill named De Zwaan that had been built at Dordrecht, South Holland, in 1833. According to a later account of that research, the Dordrecht sawmill was converted to steam power in 1884 and wind-powered components were reused in the grain mill at Vinkel. Dutch local-history sources note that the origins of all of the Vinkel mill's components are not certain; parts from other mills may also have been incorporated.
The mill was moved to another site within Vinkel in 1902 after nearby development interfered with its access to wind. It continued grinding grain by wind until World War II. Wartime damage left wind-powered operation impractical, although limited milling later continued using a diesel-powered hammer mill.
Relocation to Michigan The idea of acquiring an authentic Dutch windmill for Holland, Michigan, developed into a municipal project in the early 1960s. Businessman Carter P. Brown and Willard C. Wichers, Midwest director of the Netherlands Information Service, were among the principal advocates. Wichers participated in negotiations with Dutch preservation authorities between 1962 and 1964.
Dutch officials ultimately granted an exception to preservation restrictions allowing De Zwaan to be exported. The sale was completed in June 1964. National Register documentation describes De Zwaan as the last windmill permitted to leave the Netherlands, a characterization also reported by later regional sources.
Dutch millwright Jan Diederik Medendorp supervised the dismantling of the windmill in Vinkel. Because some structural and mechanical elements had deteriorated, a number of components had to be replaced or rebuilt during the relocation, while usable historic elements were retained.
In September 1964, the dismantled mill was loaded aboard the Prins Willem van Oranje at Rotterdam. The shipment arrived at Muskegon, Michigan, on October 5, 1964, and the components were transported by truck to Holland. Reconstruction took place during the following winter under Medendorp's supervision. A new three-story brick base was constructed to elevate the mill and provide access to unobstructed wind.
De Zwaan was dedicated on April 10, 1965, in a ceremony attended by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands and Michigan governor George W. Romney. Windmill Island opened to the public the following month.
Restoration and historic designation The mill has undergone several major repairs since its reconstruction in Michigan. Its blades were replaced around 2000, the gallery was replaced in 2012, and substantial structural and mechanical restoration was undertaken in 2013. The mill was rededicated in 2014 following approximately $760,000 in restoration and repairs.
De Zwaan was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 17, 2018, with reference number 100002333. The National Register identifies 1964–1965 as the property's period of significance and recognizes it for Dutch ethnic heritage and social history, including its association with Wichers.
See also Tulip Time
References
External links
Windmill Island Gardens – official site De Zwaan Windmill – National Park Service NPGallery