Victoria Grist Windmill
Why it's listed
This octagonal smock-type windmill gristmill, framed in oak, was built around 1870 in the Raisin community southwest of Victoria, Texas. It was later moved to a farm near Spring Creek, and in 1935 it was donated to the Morning Study Club and placed in Memorial Square, a cemetery and public park in the center of Victoria. The mill ground grain with one set of 42-inch German Cullin stones, called Dutch Blues, driven by a wooden windshaft and large wooden gears. Much of the framing, the windshaft and the wallower appear to be original. The cap and sails date from the 1930s, and the sails are decorative. It was listed in 1976 as an engineering landmark and became an American Society of Mechanical Engineers landmark in 1991. In 2011 a plan was put forward to move it, because the city required its removal from the park. The mill would be restored by specialist millwrights and reassembled on farmland near Inez, Texas.
Significance in brief: It was listed in 1976 mainly as an engineering landmark, an example of early engineering and agricultural technology. The relocation proposal says it kept enough integrity for that listing even though it had been moved. It also received a 1991 American Society of Mechanical Engineers landmark designation.
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 76002079, listed April 30, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Memorial Park in Victoria, Victoria |
|---|---|
| County | Victoria County |
| Listed | April 30, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76002079 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | Fred Meiss (purchased the mill in 1870 and rebuilt and erected it near Spring Creek); the proposal refers to a descendant of the original builder |
| Architectural style | Octagonal smock mill, oak-framed |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Agriculture, Engineering |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Privately owned structure on city park land. The city requires its removal by August 31, 2011. It is to be dismantled, restored in Virginia and reassembled near Inez, Texas. The sails are decorative only, and the stone furniture is missing. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 28.80068, -97.00025 (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 76002079.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7926739
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.