Pointe-aux-Trembles Windmill, Historical windmill in Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montreal, Canada.
Pointe-aux-Trembles Windmill is a cylindrical tower of limestone built in 1719 at 11630 Notre-Dame Street East, near the St. Lawrence River. It rises 13 metres over four storeys, with a base diameter of 5.5 metres narrowing to 4.9 metres, and a conical cedar-shingle roof. The cap and sails were turned by a tail pole; the four sails were operated from the ground. Most of the machinery is missing, so the mill is not operational.
The windmill was built in 1719 to serve the farming community of Pointe-aux-Trembles by grinding grain. It became one of the central industrial buildings that helped the area develop and grow during its early colonial period.
The mill's name comes from the aspen trees (trembles) that once grew along this stretch of the Saint-Laurent. Each summer weekend a costumed guide greets visitors, and the old stone walls serve as a screen for a multimedia projection on the mill's history. Interpretation panels illustrated by Francis Back line the grounds.
The mill stands at 11630 rue Notre-Dame Est, beside the Saint-Laurent, in the Parc du Vieux-Moulin. The park has a belvedere over the river and an animation pavilion. The mill is open to visitors, with an illustrated historical circuit and multimedia projections; a costumed guide welcomes visitors on summer weekends.
The mill's cap and four sails once turned into the wind by means of a tail pole, and the sails were adjusted from ground level. Most of the internal machinery is gone, so the mill cannot operate; the restored sails and wheel are reconstructions. At 13 metres it is the tallest building of its kind in Quebec.
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