Fabyan Windmill, a landmark in the heart of Kane County, is marking a milestone: its centennial birthday.
The Forest Preserve District of Kane County is gearing up for a season full of celebrations at the windmill, located at Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva.
Fabyan Forest Preserve was part of the country estate of George and Nelle Fabyan who came to the Fox River Valley in the early 1900s, according to the District’s website. The couple purchased more than 300 acres and created an estate they called “Riverbank.”
Fabyan purchased the windmill in 1914 for about $8,000 and moved it from a site in Lombard, the site states. It stands 68 feet and has five stories.
The District hired a millwright, Lucas Verbij, to restore the windmill. Fabyan Windmill has authentic timber and gear work from the Netherlands and had a grand reopening in 2005, the site states.
“There is German, Swedish and Dutch millwright work on this Windmill,” Verbij said on the site. “It is one of the few in the world that is restored to operate by natural wind energy.”
The District will be commemorating the centennial:
Windmill Tours: Tour are available through Oct. 15 on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. and by appointment. The tours show the windmill’s history and how it operates.
Online virtual tour: The Fabyan Windmill has an online virtual tour on Google Images at http://bit.ly/FabyanWindmillTour.
Cultural programs: A naturalist-guided stroll is set for Wednesday, June 24, from 7-8 p.m., about the Fox River as Col. George Fabyan experienced it. Additional programs by the Forest Preserve and Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley are listed at http://www.kaneforest.com.
Celebrate Fabyan Windmill: The District will host a free Centennial Celebration at noon on Saturday, July 25 with food, music, giveaways, windmill tours and a pinwheel-making station.
As part of the celebration, the District is creating a time capsule to be opened in one hundred years and is looking for contributions such as photos, drawings or articles for the theme, “Fabyan Windmill: 100 Years & Countless Memories.” Items can be mailed or delivered to the Forest Preserve District headquarters at 1996 S. Kirk Road, Suite 320, Geneva, 60134.
A photo will be taken at the July event to be included in the time capsule.
Casas is a freelancer.
