History of de Zwarte Ruiter windmill
De Zwarte Ruiter windmill in Aalsmeer is a windmill with a story. It has a rich history dating back to the 18th century. 1778 to be precise, when the mill was built as a polder mill for the drainage of the Zwarte or Schinkel polder. This mill, complete with an internally mounted paddle wheel, was used to replace a wip mill on the Haarlemmermeer until the middle of the 19th century.
Flour mill in Aalsmeer
In 1857, a large windmill a little further along, which was equipped with a screw pump, largely took over the work of de Zwarte Ruiter windmill. The mill itself was equipped with six piston pumps, but that proved unsuccessful and in 1866 the mill was sold and converted into a corn mill. De Zwarte Ruiter windmill was in operation until 1919. After that, the working parts were removed from the mill, apart from the top wheel. After World War II, the sails and fantail were removed.
Restoration was discussed during the 1970s, but it took almost thirty years before this happened. This was rectified in 2002 when the foundations of de Zwarte Ruiter were replaced. In 2007, the windmill turned once more.
