We are hoping to sell, or donate to museum if appropriate, a windmill we have had in storage for 40 years. (See "introductions" for backstory).
Somewhere in our storage unit is at least one hemisphere cover for the generator. We do not have the "electrics" for it that would have been at the bottom of the tower. The tower is 40 feet, we have all the steel and diagonal braces, but none of the fasteners. It looks like it is the same construction as the tower in the pictures of Admiral Byrd's Antarctica installation. Pictures of the parts can be found at my Brother-in-laws website: https://buzzkuhnsphotography.smugmug.co ... s-Windmill
Let me know what additional information you would like, and if you have an idea of a price that would be reasonable. It is located near Salt Lake City, in Utah,
1930's Jacobs windmill
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Windcatcher530 Dan
- Posts: 1925
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2021 4:06 pm
- Location: Alcove N.Y.i buy and restore
Re: 1930's Jacobs windmill
Very nice i love it. If i lived closer i would have that in my collection !!!
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Wind Charger Mike
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2019 12:42 pm
- Location: Manor, Texas
- Contact:
Re: 1930's Jacobs windmill
Bottom line after seeing your pics and conferring with a couple of guys I consider my mentors, your machine absolutely needs to be in a museum. A few jaws hit the ground….It may be the earliest known Jacobs that is still in mostly original condition. It appears to have a few touch ups and verifying the finer details of its originality is going to take a little more research.
The experts I shared your pics with are Craig Toepfer and Mick Sagrillo. Both are subject authors and much more knowledgeable on Jacobs than me. Craig worked with Marcellus Jacobs in the 70s and Mick owned a company that specialized in servicing Jacobs machines in the same time frame. As a run of the mill Jacobs in that condition it’s a $3k machine all day. Its historical value is much higher. Unfortunately I’m afraid the market may not support its true value as a piece of wind electric history. Putting your Jacobs on a tower to produce electricity would be like making a Duesenberg a daily driver. To put it in context for my windmill friends, it’s a 1889 Aermotor. I urge you to go the donate to a museum route but I understand if you need to sell it. I’ll be glad to help you facilitate it going to the right museum and if you have to sell it, put a big number on it and please discourage any potential buyer from restoring it or putting it out in the elements. Let me know if I can help.
The experts I shared your pics with are Craig Toepfer and Mick Sagrillo. Both are subject authors and much more knowledgeable on Jacobs than me. Craig worked with Marcellus Jacobs in the 70s and Mick owned a company that specialized in servicing Jacobs machines in the same time frame. As a run of the mill Jacobs in that condition it’s a $3k machine all day. Its historical value is much higher. Unfortunately I’m afraid the market may not support its true value as a piece of wind electric history. Putting your Jacobs on a tower to produce electricity would be like making a Duesenberg a daily driver. To put it in context for my windmill friends, it’s a 1889 Aermotor. I urge you to go the donate to a museum route but I understand if you need to sell it. I’ll be glad to help you facilitate it going to the right museum and if you have to sell it, put a big number on it and please discourage any potential buyer from restoring it or putting it out in the elements. Let me know if I can help.
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Windcatcher530 Dan
- Posts: 1925
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2021 4:06 pm
- Location: Alcove N.Y.i buy and restore
Re: 1930's Jacobs windmill
Wow that's awesome Mike i did not realize how rare that mill is. I agree hopefully it will find a home in a museum. Thanks for the research great job.
