Description of Historic Place

The Windmill Tower stands prominently on Windmill Point, a height of land near the town of Prescott, where it overlooks the old King’s Highway and the St. Lawrence River. The 62 foot (18.9 meters) tapered tower is constructed of random coursed stone and is crowned with a cast iron lantern. Decorative elements include the louvred windows that rise in paired, vertical bands and the arched doorway of the main entrance. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Windmill Tower is a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value:
The Windmill Tower is one of the best examples of a structure associated with the Rebellion of 1837-1838. Built as a gristmill, it was one of the few wind-powered mills in English Canada. During the Rebellion of 1837-38, it was the scene of an important battle against Americans who supported the Rebellion. A small invasion force of insurgents attempted a landing at Prescott in 1838, which led to a battle at the Windmill. Milling operations ceased permanently as a result. To defend against further invasions, the tower was occupied for a year by British troops. In 1872, the tower was converted to a lighthouse to facilitate the use of the St. Lawrence as a transportation route. The Historic Sites and Monuments Board designated the tower as a national historic site of Canada in 1923.

Architectural Value:
The Windmill Tower is valued for its good aesthetic design, and as a rare surviving example of an English-built, wind-powered mill in Upper Canada. Its simple design and stately profile are a result of its British origins. The mill is unique in its later adaptation to a lighthouse in 1872, when the octagonal cast-iron lantern was added. As a result of its excellent functional design, Windmill Tower has served successfully both as a grist-mill and as a lighthouse, and exhibits features of both. Good craftsmanship is evidenced in the coursed rubble-stone walls that are about 0.9 metre (three feet) thick at the base.

Environmental Value:
The Windmill Tower is compatible with the historic character of the Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site of Canada, is well-known to staff and visitors to the site, and is a familiar regional landmark

Sources: Sally Coutts, Battle of the Windmill National Historic Park, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 88-076; Windmill Tower, Prescott Ontario, Battle of the Windmill National historic Site, Prescott, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement 88-076.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Windmill should be respected.

Its good aesthetic, excellent functional design and good materials, as evidenced in: the simple, tapering tower silhouette and massing crowned by an octagonal cast iron lamp; the exterior walls of coursed rubble-stone that are about 0.9 metre (three feet) thick at the base; the segmentally-arched doorway and the louvred windows arranged in vertical bands; the interior walls, which step back at each floor level forming a ledge.

The manner in which the Windmill Tower is compatible with the historic character of its Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site of Canada setting and is a familiar local landmark, as evidenced by: its overall design and materials, which contributes to its historic surroundings, and role as a key component of the Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site of Canada, all of which make it a familiar landmark to the local community and visitors;
its exposed location that gives visual prominence to the tower from both the river and the highway.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

Windmill Tower was built in approximately 1832, as a wind-powered grist mill. During the Rebellion of 1837-38, it was the site of the Battle of the Windmill, and milling operations permanently ceased at this time. In 1872, it was converted to a lighthouse. Since 1978, it has been interpreted as a battle site. Environment Canada Canadian Parks Service is the custodial department. See FHBRO Building Report 88-76.

Reasons for Designation
The Windmill Tower was designated Classified because of its important historical associations, its functional design and its environment.

The current physical form of the Tower is a result of its evolving historical function: gristmill, Rebellion battlesite and defence location, and lighthouse. It was initially built as a grist mill, one of a very few wind-powered mills in English Canada. During the Rebellion of 1837-38, it was the scene of an important battle when Americans who supported the Rebellion attempted a landing at Prescott in 1838 which led to a battle at the Windmill. To defend against further invasions, the tower was occupied for the subsequent year by British troops. In 1872, the tower was converted to a lighthouse to facilitate use of the St. Lawrence as a transportation route. Finally, as a result of its role in the Rebellion, it was designated by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board in 1923, and it is currently interpreted by the Canadian Parks Service as a battle site.

Windmill Tower is a rare surviving example of an English-built wind-powered mill in Upper Canada. Its simple functional design and stately profile are a result of its British origins. The building is unique in its later adaptation as a lighthouse. The prominent site on the open space of Windmill Point is relatively unchanged, and the Tower is both a physical and symbolic landmark for the region.

Character Defining Elements
The heritage character of the building resides in its highly functional design, those features which illustrate its successful adaptation to changing uses, and the nature of its environment.

As a result of its simple, functional design, Windmill Tower has served successfully both as a grist-mill and a lighthouse, and exhibits features of both. The basic design of the tower derives from its mill origin. The round, slightly tapering tower is constructed of coursed rubble-stone, with walls about three feet thick at the base.

The inner wall steps back at each floor, forming a ledge which originally supported the wooden floors of the mill. The unusual grouping of the louvered windows into pairs arranged in vertical bands was designed to light the milling machinery. The size of the segmentally-arched doorway is an indicator of the building's mill origin. The octagonal cast-iron lantern was added in 1872 when the structure was adapted to its new function as a lighthouse. The current interior wooden stairway, built at the same time, provides access to the lantern.

As the significance of the structure lies in its various historical functions, the form, character and materials should be carefully conserved as they have evolved over time. A regular program of inspection and maintenance should be established, it not already in place. Repairs to the masonry and repointing of the mortar should occur under the supervision of a masonry conservation expert.

The tower is sited on a high point of land above the St. Lawrence River. The open pastoral character of the setting has existed since the group of houses surrounding the mill were burnt during the Battle of the Windmill. The exposed location gives visual prominence to the tower from both the river and the highway. The openness of the site should be preserved.