History of the mill:
" On August 10, 1925, a whirlwind developed and reached our region at ± 7:00 pm. According to eyewitnesses it became pitch dark. The cyclone turned the town of Borculo into one big mess in about ten minutes. Nothing could withstand a cyclone like the one that hit Borculo. The wooden post-mill on the Needse berg, which had stood there for centuries (since the 17th century) and was the subject of ghost stories and folktales, was blown over in a few seconds. The stand broke off at the seat. So thoroughly was the mill destroyed that there was no point in repairing it.
In the days following this storm disaster, the disaster area was visited by the royal family, with Prince Hendrik looking at the havoc on Needse berg. He did not spend much time there. After a brief glance at the shapeless mass, he dismissed the matter with the words, "That was a stand windmill." Soon the possibility of erecting a new mill was discussed.
The association "De Hollandsche Molen" (The Dutch Mill), founded in 1923, joined forces with the National Support Committee "Storm Disaster" and they looked for and found a way to give Neede a new mill. It could no longer be a tower mill as before, because no matter how interesting this type of mill was, it was too outdated. It was to be a stone mill, in which the improvements and aids that had to meet the requirements of the time would be made and installed.
The design was assigned to the Dekker brothers, mill builders in Hazerswoude-Moerkapelle. Mr. Postel, as the architect in charge of the construction of what had been destroyed in this area, gave instructions as far as the external appearance was concerned.
By decision of the Mayor and Aldermen on June 9, 1926, the association "De Hollandsche Molen" (The Dutch Mill) was granted permission to rebuild the corn mill. The rebuilding costs were estimated at fl. 18.000,--. The work on the new tower mill and the demolition of the old standerd mill were carried out by the Needse contractor-masonry company Ten Hoopen, nicknamed "Tooms'n", which had its offices on the Nieuwstraat. One of the employees from those days, Jan Morssink, still managed to tell that in the sand an amount of fl 37,-- worth of small change was found, which in the course of time had fallen through the cracks and crevices under the mill. A formidable sum for that time, the builders must have known what to do with it. Supervision during construction was held by Jaap Dekker and his foreman Piet Verschoor.
Early 1927 the mill was ready. It was given the name of the society through whose efforts it was built:
"De Hollandsche Molen" (The Dutch Mill).
On the 3rd of March 1927 the rebuilt mill was officially handed over to the "De Hollandsche Molen" association by the Queen's Commissioner in the province of Gelderland, Mr. S. Baron van Heemstra.
The construction method of this mill is very reminiscent of the South Holland stone polder mill.
In the wall next to the entrance there are two memorial stones with the inscription:
"By her who trusts in the wind,
Though the wind beat me too hard,
I was given a second life;
My trunk, which used to be made of wood
She rebuilt me from stone
And gave me her name".
and:
"Destroyed by cyclone August 10, 1925
Rebuilt by the Association
"De Hollandsche Molen", enabled to do so by the National
by the National Support Committee "Storm Disaster".
Builders A.J. and L. Dekker at Hazerswoude-Moerkapelle.
Commissioned January 1927
On the beard is written: ANNO 1926
On the back shield: The Dutch Mill".
On the catch beam:
V M V M
ED
AJ P
1974
1979
The first tenant of the mill was Hendrik Jan Varenhorst, from the fourth family Varenhorst on the Needse berg. However, he and after him his brother Herman Hendrik only had a short time to live on the new mill. On October 15, 1927, Hendrik Jan Varenhorst died and from 1928 onwards, both his sons were engaged in business elsewhere in the village of Neede.
The next tenant, Rensink, also gave up after a year and with that the history of milling on the Needse berg as a professional occupation was over.
The mill fell into disrepair. The association "De Hollandsche Molen" (The Dutch Mill) got into trouble with the maintenance and to prevent demolition the mill was taken over "for free" by the town of Neede in 1943. Transfer deed January 5, 1944.
In 1951/1952 the mill was restored by millwright Ten Have from Vorden and used as a sawmill. As of April 1, 1952, the mill was rented for this purpose to H.A. Stortelder from Neede, but it has only used wind power for a few years. As of June 1, 1969, the Stortelder company terminated the lease and the mill fell into disrepair once again.
In the years 1973-1974 the mill was restored again; this time by mill builder A.J.B. Beckers from Bredevoort. The costs of this restoration amounted to over fl. 100,000.
In September 1974 the work was completed, but a couple of millstones were still missing. The sails could turn again, but without purpose. Only in April 1976 the current couple of millstones was placed and the mill could be milled as before.
On May 19, 1998 the work for the last restoration started, with this restoration an amount of f 730,000.00. With this money the rods were renewed, the hood with new reeds, the walls repointed, the attics and the scaffolding renewed, a new couple of stones and the cake crusher made turnable.
On June 25, 1999, the mill was officially opened by Mr. G. Luttikhold, alderman. On June 26, the Needse population could see the mill. "
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