Gladden Windmill
Also known as: Milks Windmill
Why it's listed
Gladden Windmill, also called Milks Windmill, is a four-story wood-frame vertical windmill on a stone foundation on Pigeon Valley Road in Napoli, New York. Three lower stories held the milling machinery, and the fourth held a revolving windwheel about 11 feet high and 19 feet across, ringed by 16 shutters that directed wind into the wheel. Its frame uses hand-hewn beech timbers, with tall hemlock corner posts. A farmer named Gladden, wanting to avoid the long trip to a gristmill, saw a similar design near Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1888 and acquired rights to build one. The foundation was laid in fall 1890 and the mill was finished a year later. It powered grain grinding, cider pressing, a lathe and a repair shop. The nomination calls it an uncommon piece of industrial architecture and a farmer's ingenious solution to productivity. The mill no longer operates, and its vanes have been removed, but the structure is largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the mill is a significant piece of industrial architecture with an uncommon vertical windwheel and shutter design, perhaps otherwise vanished in the United States. It is described as a unique, ingenious answer to one farmer's search for convenience and productivity. It is largely intact apart from the removed vanes.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73001167, listed July 16, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Pigeon Valley Rd., Napoli |
|---|---|
| County | Cattaraugus County |
| Listed | July 16, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001167 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1890) |
| Architect / builder | Gladden (farmer who built the mill; named as George Gladden in the significance text and Charles Gladden as author of the cited article) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | No longer operational but largely intact except for the removed vanes; condition marked fair, altered, on original site. Later notes in the file record a proposed move to a new site and removal from the Register in 1981. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.23526, -78.89544 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73001167.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5566213
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.