The past
points to
the future
Windmills are cool, both the old ones and the new ones. Windmill Day is a chance to learn and check out a very old one.
The smock windmill on North Road on the island of Jamestown was built way back in 1787 and was constructed to replace the one destroyed by the British in the war of Rhode Island. It operated grinding up corn until 1895 and is now owned by the Jamestown Historical Society.
Everyone that visits the island sees the windmill sitting peacefully on it's little hill but once a year the Historical Society has a celebration and puts out the sails and gives lectures about the venerable structure.
You get to actually go in the thing and learn about exactly how it operated. Cool stuff, the people in the Historical Society know everything about the windmill and the history of the island and gave some fascinating information about the archeology and geology of the area.
Sure it's dark and the stairs are steep. I bonked my head several times climbing up and then wonked it again once I was on top but it was worth it. The views from the top are spectacular and the smell and feel takes you back in time.
Rhode Island is a windy place, Narragansett Bay has a nice breeze blowing virtually all the time. The state has erected several modern wind turbines in the last few years and has many more planned in the near future to generate electricity and reduce the state's dependence on oil. Great stuff.
This windmill shows that the folks way back in the 18th century knew how to take advantage of the environment. Things the people in the 21st century are just starting to learn.
The past
points to
the future read more