NCPI Workmark
Articles in regional publications that pertain to a wide range of North Carolina-related topics.

When Windmills Whirled on the Tar Heel Coast

Record #:
8893
Abstract:
The coastal region of North Carolina was home to over 155 windmills during the 18th- and 19th-centuries. The windmills incorporated a post-mill design better suited for the region than tower-mills. Post-mills were effective because they allowed the windmill to be turned into the wind, were cheaper to construct, and were made with materials available in eastern North Carolina. Coastal mills were built for grinding grain or pumping water. Researcher Tucker Littleton found that in North Carolina, mills built above the Onslow County-Pender County line tended to be grist mills while those built below the line tended to be water mills. Littleton also discovered that Carteret County contained the largest number of windmills. Few North Carolinians remember the role windmills played in the state's past. Lynanne Westcott is trying to change this as she has built an exact replica of a 19th-century windmill in Manteo.
Source:
The State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 51 Issue 8, Jan 1984, p7-8, por
Subject(s):