Stenen molen, Ertvelde

Stenen Molen in Ertvelde, a village in the municipality of Evergem in East Flanders, is a round stone windmill of the grondzeiler type, built in 1798-1799. It stands at Stenenmolenstraat 21, north of the village center, and remains one of the few mills in the region where the accompanying horse-powered mill (ros mill) has also survived on site.

Who built it and why

The mill was commissioned by Pieter Cornelis Genbrugge, son of Lieven and husband of Anna Cornelia Goethals, who ordered the construction of the windmill, the ros mill and the miller's house together as a single working complex. The actual building work was carried out by Fredericus Pisonier from nearby Sleidinge, a member of a well-known family of millwrights in the area that also included Augustinus, Petrus, Victor and Edmond Pisonier. Their workshop shaped the appearance of many stone windmills across East Flanders around the turn of the 19th century.

How the mill worked

From the outset, Stenen Molen operated as a grain mill. It was fitted with two sets of millstones and an oat cracker, allowing it to grind flour as well as process oats into groats. The ros mill on the same site provided a horse- or animal-powered alternative drive, used whenever there was not enough wind to turn the sails. This dual setup let the miller keep working regardless of weather conditions, which in practice meant more reliable income and the capacity to serve more farmers from the surrounding area.

Traces of later repairs

The initials "CR 1862" carved into the mill's shaft mark the replacement of the axle that year by Charles Rombaut from Wachtebeke. This is a typical example of how mills of this kind went through repeated repairs to their load-bearing structure over the decades, made necessary by the heavy mechanical stress placed on the sails and grinding machinery.

In 1914 an electric motor made by Acec was installed to keep the mill running independently of the wind. It was requisitioned by the German occupying forces during the First World War and was only replaced with a new motor in 1921 - a small but telling episode showing how the fate of local economic infrastructure became entangled with the region's wartime history.

The mill today

In 1985 the current owner restored Stenen Molen to full working order. Since then the windmill has been grinding again - mainly spelt, which is supplied to local bakeries for bread and also used in the production of a special craft beer. As a result, the mill is not simply a monument to be viewed from the outside, but a structure with a genuinely active economic role within the local food chain.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Stenen Molen located? At Stenenmolenstraat 21 in Ertvelde, north of the village center, within the municipality of Evergem in the province of East Flanders.

How old is the mill? It was built in 1798-1799, at the turn between the early modern period and the 19th century.

Can visitors see the original horse-powered mill? Yes, the ros mill from the same period as the windmill has survived on the site, which is unusual for the region.

Is the mill still operational? Yes, since its 1985 restoration it grinds spelt used for bread baking and beer production.

What does the "CR 1862" mark on the shaft refer to? It records the replacement of the mill's axle in 1862 by Charles Rombaut from Wachtebeke.