Photos from Guild project in Kendallville, IN. at Mid- America Windmill Museum
Finished photo here

Information on the original Robertson Post Windmill

From the Mid- America Windmill Museum website,

" The layout is based on plans of a 17th century post windmill preserved in Cambridgeshire, England and Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. Museum directors worked with Ford Motor Company who owns the original construction plans and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to obtain a copy of the plans and build the replica."


That's Jim Kricker with the orange hard hat standing on top of the wind shaft in the first picture.

Hi Tom,

Forgive me but I do not believe that the Ford Motor Company was in existence in the 17th century and so how could they "own" the plans ?

Do you know the name of the Cambridgeshire mill ? Given its 17th century provenance I would take a guess that it is Bourn Mill. I do have a set of drawings for this mill but no mention of Ford Motor Company.

Regards

Ken Hume

Hi Ken,

The way I understand it, Ford owned the construction documents from the replica that was built in Williamsburg, VA. The replica was based on a Chambridgeshire mill of the time period because no plans or drawings of the original Williamsburg mill were available.

How similar to the Bourn Mill are the pictures I posted?

Hi Tom,

There are obvious similarities between the two mills however there are other post mills in Cambridgeshire for which I only have photos however I seem to recall that there are only 3 or 4 posts mills in the whole of England that have exposed trestles and so its very likely to be Bourn Mill.

Regards

Ken Hume