Description of Historic Place

Percival Windmill is a Municipal Heritage Property located within the Rural Municipality of Willowdale No. 153 on the western outskirts of the Hamlet of Percival adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway. The property features a Monitor Vaneless windmill mounted on a steel frame.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Percival Windmill lies in its association with Saskatchewan’s rural water system. Due to the province’s semi-arid climate and general lack of standing water, windmills provided a technology which gave many access to underground water reservoirs during the settlement period. The use of windmills was particularly important prior to the 1950s, at which time rural electrification enabled electric pumps to become regular features on the farm. The Percival Windmill was restored in 1995 in commemoration of the contribution windmills made in providing many of Saskatchewan’s early residents with water

The heritage value of the property also lies in the windmill’s technology. The ten-foot Monitor Vaneless windmill produced by Baker Manufacturing Company is composed of a wheel with six sections, each containing twelve blades. The orientation of the blades guided the windmill to face into the wind. Thus, the wheel orients itself without need for a vane. To meet the challenge of operating in variable wind speeds, each of the six sections of the Monitor Vaneless are able move out, or in through centrifugal force. As wind speed rises, the wheel’s circumference expands, allowing more air to pass through the blades, thus slowing the wheel’s rotation. Due to the region’s fluctuating wind speeds, this technology allowed the windmill to function more effectively than traditional windmills on the prairies.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Willowdale No. 153 Bylaw No. 1/1995.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Percival Windmill resides in the following character-defining elements:
-the Monitor Vaneless windmill including its blades, metal tower and mechanical gears.