Windmill History

The Heritage Village and Farm Museum windmill is located at the north end of the Farm Museum building.

The new windmill at the Heritage Village and Farm Museum in Troy has it’s history and use from the Red Rod Sportsmen’s club just south of the Bradford County line in Lycoming County.

In the mid-1850s, a salesman named John Burnham and a machinist named Daniel Halladay developed the first commercially successful self-governing American windmill in New England. Unlike traditional European-style windmills, this nimble creation could swivel to face changing winds and adjust blade angles mechanically. It responded to wind power without human assistance. This became a game changer for the Northeast that was previously dependent on steam power.

Self-governing water pump windmills became staples of American homesteads. These well-constructed, dependable windmills were akin to a pair of trusty denim jeans. Initially made of wood, metal varieties gradually gained prominence. Windmill power was prominent from the 1850’s to the 1970’s.