Input wanted for a correct windmill by era and location.

[Patterson Farm]

Glad to have found this site. I own a small farm about a dozen miles outside Gettysburg, PA. An 1873 inventory for the property lists a windmill on site. An earlier 1853 inventory does not, therefore we can assume it went up somewhere between those two points in time. In the field are remains of concrete footers where I would place a windmill if I were looking for a suitable spot. I'd like some guidance about what I should be looking for so I'll know to take an interest if something comes along: tower wood or steel, brand, etc.?

Thanks in advance for your input!

-Walter

[Dave Straub]

If before 1873, no doubt it had a wood tower and wood wheel. Most windmills that came into being started after 1860. Is the well still there? Odd that concrete was used for anchors in that era.

[Wayne]

What maybe a Halladay or Eclpse? There weren't to many at that time were there?

[Patterson Farm]

Thanks for the input. I also thought concrete seems like something used later and maybe it was for a 20th century replacement unit or maybe something completely different. The first and second photos show a big chunk that a previous owner moved. What do you think of that anchor? Does that look like windmill hardware? I am unsure about a well. The third photo shows a big chunk still in the ground and since the water has been running through so much lately a large hole has appeared. Perhaps it has something to do with a well.

In our springhouse is an open well. The springhouse is probably a little earlier than the house, so maybe 1830's, but there is a newer iron pipe coming inside from the direction of where I think the windmill was and dipping into the well. I don't know what kind of lift a windmill pump has but perhaps they were sucking it out of there at one point.

[Wayne]

You could have a windmill setting beside a pump house and use a walking beam to pump though the wall. There is such a setup N. of Dayton Oh at a historical farm that Ken O-Brock installed. The Halladay was first made in Connecticut then moved to Batavia Ill. in 1863 according to A field Guide To American Windmills. Water well dug in 1830's used what they had then when windmill became available get one and hook it up. A Halladay would be my first guess but then again it could have been a local built windmill by a Blacksmith. You are in the land of history do more digging and see if a local man of that time might have made windmills.

[Patterson Farm]

Thanks for the mention of Ken O'Brock. I enjoyed looking at his website though did't see the walking beam that was mentioned. There is no sign that anything other than a pipe has ever been punched through the wall of our springhouse. The way the ground is around here, it's not difficult to get water out of it, so the windmill may still have been out in the field like I suspect.

Attached are two photos of the well inside the springhouse (sorry for the orientation, I can't make them behave). It's interesting because it seems to have been a hand dug circular well that they incorporated into the building because the inside corner is round, yet all four outside corners (and the three other inside corners) are square. You are right that this is the land of history. The same family that built this springhouse was here as early as 1760. Your suggestion to research the windmill being locally made is a good one as this is also a land of industry.

[Wayne]

Can't remember the name of the farm at Dayton. It is just north of I 70 AND East of I 75. I've got some pictures somewhere will see if I can find them. Had a 6th GGP get married in the First Presbyterian Church of Phili. If That is a window to the left they could have had the walking beam coming through there. Imagine a beam coming through there, supported in the window, one end hooked to the sucker rod of the pump and the other end hooked to the sucker rod of the windmill. I'd love to come visit Pennsylvania if i had a driver and all I had to was look. I have been to the railroad museum at Strasburg and the surrounding area Phili included.