Kregel Windmill Museum

The Kregel Wind Mill Company produced water pumping windmills in Nebraska City, Nebraska starting in 1879. It is now the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum.[2]

Kregel Wind Mill Company
Location in Nebraska
Location in United States
Location1416 Central Ave., Nebraska City, Nebraska
Coordinates40°40′37″N 95°51′48″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1903 (1903)
Architectural styleRomanesque, Round Arch Style
NRHP reference No.93000061[1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 25, 1993

History

The brand of windmills that the Kregel Windmill Company produced was called "ELI" — as an homage to one of George Kregel's friends, a deceased preacher named Eli Huber. Kregel windmills were used to pump water from wells at farms and homes in the region of southeastern Nebraska surrounding Nebraska City. Managed by George F. Kregel, the company moved to the current Central Avenue building in 1903, continuing to operate there for 88 years.[3]

The Central Avenue factory has been preserved with all of its manufacturing equipment. The machinery in the factory is powered by a central transverse line shaft and leather belts coming down to pulleys on each machine. The line shaft itself was originally powered by a single cylinder engine, but was converted to electricity in the 1920s. After manufacturing more than 2000 windmills, the company stopped production in the 1940s, and the Kregels worked instead in pump repair and well maintenance until 1991 in the same location.[4]

The factory is a one-story wood-frame building. The flat-roofed building has two small roof monitors for light and ventilation. The front facade is clad with pressed sheet metal in a brick pattern, with four bays. The interior is a large open space with two structural bays, and a small office space. All of the company's tools (including "ledger books on shelves, telephone, pencils and pens on the desk, even an overcoat on a hook") and records have been preserved.[2]

Since September 2019, the executive director has been Isaiah Yott.[5]

Machinery

Featured machinery in the factory includes:[5]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Miller, Greg; Murphy, David (1992). "National Register of Historic Places - Registration Form: Kregel Wind Mill Company". National Park Service. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  3. "Kregel Windmill Factory Museum - Kregel Windmill Factory Museum - Nebraska City". www.kregelwindmillfactorymuseum.org. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  4. "About". Kregel Windmill Factory Museum. 2011. Archived from the original on 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  5. "Kregel Windmill Factory Museum | Kregel Windmill Factory Museum - Nebraska City". www.kregelwindmillfactorymuseum.org. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
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