De Zwaan Windmill on Oude Hoofdweg in Moriaanshoofd (Kerkwerve) is a black octagonal ground sail windmill that replaced an older post mill. It is a large windmill with the largest sails in the province of Zeeland. The mill was probably originally a polder mill from the province of South Holland and was rebuild in Zeeland in 1886.
The Verhage family owned the mill from 1919 to 2002. Until 1968, it milled using wind power. After that, the mill stood idle and fell into disrepair. In 2002, the mill was transferred to the Foundation for the Preservation of the De Zwaan Mill, ensuring its long-term preservation. In 2002/2003, the mill was restored, after which it was once again able to operate. The mill runs weekly thanks to volunteer miller Jeroen van Dijke. Occasionally, the mill is also used for grinding.
Twenty years later, in 2022, another restoration was necessary. The Foundation for the Preservation of the Zwaan Mill commissioned a restoration plan from Erfgoed Advies Groen in Montfoort, one of the four recognised mill consultants in the Netherlands. The total restoration costs were estimated at €345,000. The province subsidised approximately two-thirds of this amount, with the remainder being obtained by the foundation through fundraising.
In September 2023, the restoration contract was awarded to Molenmakerij Grinwis. The restoration began on 15 December 2023 with the installation of a construction sign listing all the subsidy providers. In April 2024, the mill ran for the last time for the time being and was largely dismantled. More than a year later, the restoration was completed and test runs could be carried out. The millwright did a good job, because the mill is running better than ever. On 12 July 2025, the mill was ceremoniously reopened.
Website: www.verhage-kerkwerve.nl/molen-de-zwaan/
The Hurgronje Family Fund made a financial contribution to the restoration of the mill.
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