Welgelegen, Heerenveen
Encyclopedia
Welgelegen or Tjepkema's Molen (Tjepka's Mill) is a smock mill
in Heerenveen
, Friesland
, Netherlands
, which was built in 1849 and has been restored to working order. The mill is listed as a Rijksmonument
, No. 21171.
, Overijssel
sold a parcel of land at Heerenveen to millwright
Willem Frederick Looman of Deventer
, Overijssel for ƒ200. A contract was signed that Looman would build the mill and rent it back to Kok for ƒ650 per annum. The mill was built as a rye
and barley
mill. Kok did not stay long at the mill; Looman sold it within a year of its construction to Fredrik Hessel van Beyma thoe Kingma, who was the public prosecutor in Heerenveen. In 1872, the mill was purchased by Johannes Melis Tjepkema and acquired the name Tjepkema's Molen, by which it is still known by today. In 1898, the mill's base was raised by 6 metre., giving it a height of 10 metre. The mill ceased working for trade in 1923.
It was sold to a man in Leeuwarden who demolished windmills for a living. Through the intervention of De Hollandsche Molen
, the mill was sold to the Gemeente Aengwirden
in order to prevent demolition. On 1 September 1931, the mill was sold to the Gemeente Heerenveen for ƒ1,600. The mill was used to store hoses for the local fire brigade and ladders for the parks department of the council. A restoration was undertaken in 1950. In 1974, the mill was repaired so that it was capable of turning by wind again. A further restoration was undertaken in 1976-77 and in 1982 millwright Hiemstra of Tzummarum
fitted the French Burr millstones. In 1988, the mill was purchased by the Stichting Molen Welgelegen (Welgelegen Mill Society). In 1990, a new cap and internal machinery were fitted by Hiemstra. The mill was officially opened on 25 May 1991 by Burgemeester Reinders. Welgelegen is the only surviving windmill in Heerenveen of the seventeen that have stood at various times since the 15th century.
Smock mill
The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind...
in Heerenveen
Heerenveen
Heerenveen is a town in the Heerenveen municipality of the province of Friesland , in the north of the Netherlands.- History :The town was established in 1551 by three lords as a location for the purpose of digging peat which was used for fuel, hence the name...
, Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, which was built in 1849 and has been restored to working order. The mill is listed as a Rijksmonument
Rijksmonument
A rijksmonument is a National Heritage Site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.-History and criteria:...
, No. 21171.
History
On 20 August 1849, Hermanus Hendrik Kok of DeventerDeventer
Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
, Overijssel
Overijssel
Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
sold a parcel of land at Heerenveen to millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
Willem Frederick Looman of Deventer
Deventer
Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
, Overijssel for ƒ200. A contract was signed that Looman would build the mill and rent it back to Kok for ƒ650 per annum. The mill was built as a rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
and barley
Pearl barley
Pearl barley is barley processed to remove its hull and bran. Barley must have its fibrous outer hull removed before it can be eaten; pearl barley is taken a step further, polished to remove the nutritious bran layer....
mill. Kok did not stay long at the mill; Looman sold it within a year of its construction to Fredrik Hessel van Beyma thoe Kingma, who was the public prosecutor in Heerenveen. In 1872, the mill was purchased by Johannes Melis Tjepkema and acquired the name Tjepkema's Molen, by which it is still known by today. In 1898, the mill's base was raised by 6 metre., giving it a height of 10 metre. The mill ceased working for trade in 1923.
It was sold to a man in Leeuwarden who demolished windmills for a living. Through the intervention of De Hollandsche Molen
De Hollandsche Molen
Vereniging De Hollandsche Molen is a Dutch organization founded in 1923 to preserve windmills in the Netherlands, to document them, and to restore them. Financial support comes from members and from grants by organizations such as the BankGiro Loterij...
, the mill was sold to the Gemeente Aengwirden
Aengwirden
Aengwirden is a former municipality in the Dutch province of Friesland. It covered the area around the village of Tjalleberd. It existed until July 1, 1934.The area of the former municipality is now a part of the municipality of Heerenveen....
in order to prevent demolition. On 1 September 1931, the mill was sold to the Gemeente Heerenveen for ƒ1,600. The mill was used to store hoses for the local fire brigade and ladders for the parks department of the council. A restoration was undertaken in 1950. In 1974, the mill was repaired so that it was capable of turning by wind again. A further restoration was undertaken in 1976-77 and in 1982 millwright Hiemstra of Tzummarum
Tzummarum
Tzummarum is a small village in Franekeradeel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around the 1340 citizens ....
fitted the French Burr millstones. In 1988, the mill was purchased by the Stichting Molen Welgelegen (Welgelegen Mill Society). In 1990, a new cap and internal machinery were fitted by Hiemstra. The mill was officially opened on 25 May 1991 by Burgemeester Reinders. Welgelegen is the only surviving windmill in Heerenveen of the seventeen that have stood at various times since the 15th century.
Description
Welgelegen is what the Dutch describe as a "stellingmolen" (a windmill with a stage). It is a three storey smock mill on a five storey base. The stage is at the level of the fifth floor, 11 metre above ground level. The smock and cap are thatched. The mill is winded by tailpole and winch. The sails are Common sails, with the leading edges streamlined on the Fok system. They have a span of 22.4 metre. The sails are carried on a cast iron windshaft, which was cast by Prins van Oranje, 's-Gravenhage in 1881. The windshaft also carries the clasp arm brake wheel, which has 59 cogs. This drives the wallower (30 cogs) at the top of the upright shaft. At the bottom of the upright shaft, the great spur wheel, which has 104 cogs, drives the two pairs of millstones. The 1.4 metre diameter French Burr stones are driven by a lantern pinion stone nut which has 29 staves. The 1.2 metre diameter Cullen stones are driven by a lantern pinion stone nut which has 27 staves.Millers
- Hermanus Hendrik Kok (1849–50)
- Fredrik Hessel van Beyma thoe Kingma (1850- )
- Johannes Melis Tjepkema (1872- )