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Dutch Windmill.

Only Working Danish Windmill In America

Field review by the editors.

Elk Horn, Iowa

Elk Horn and its nearby northern neighbor town of Kimballton comprise the largest rural Danish settlement in the U.S. Kimballton has a replica of the Little Mermaid statue, while Elk Horn hosts a tiny church and this windmill, 60 feet tall.

Built in 1848, the windmill was bought and shipped here for the 1976 US Bicentennial. Elk Horn couldn't afford to pay anyone to reassemble it, so the townspeople did it themselves -- and they restored the windmill to working condition while they were at it. Unfortunately, the task couldn't be completed until three months after the Bicentennial, in March 1977.

The folks in Elk Horn claim that those who knew of the windmill in Denmark also knew that it was falling apart, and that they were grateful that the Americans came to rescue and restore it. Denmark, which originally told Elk Horn that there were no Danish windmills for sale, was mad. It subsequently passed a law forbidding the exporting of any more of its windmills, so this is the only Danish one in America.

Looking up at the Dutch Windmill.

But then there are all of those Dutch windmills....

Only Working Danish Windmill In America

Address:
4038 Main St., Elk Horn, IA
Directions:
South side of town, west side of Hwy 173. Difficult to miss.
Hours:
M-Sa, closed Su. Close at 5 pm on weekdays. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:
712-764-7472
Admission:
Fee to tour windmill.
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Tiny Church: Morning Star ChapelTiny Church: Morning Star Chapel, Elk Horn, IA - < 1 mi.
Little MermaidLittle Mermaid, Kimballton, IA - 3 mi.
Plow in the OakPlow in the Oak, Exira, IA - 9 mi.
In the region:
Furniture Shop and Theater, Jefferson, IA - 46 mi.

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