The windmill and the neighbourhood of Mishkenot Sha'ananim were both funded by the British Jewish banker and philanthropist Moses Montefiore, who devoted his life to promoting industry, education and health in the Land of Israel.

[2] Montefiore mentions the windmill in his diaries (1875), noting that he had built it 18 years earlier on the estate of Kerem-Moshe-ve-Yehoodit (lit.

[3] The project, bearing the hallmarks of nineteenth-century artisan revival, aimed to promote productive enterprise in the yishuv.

On the night of 1 January 1873, Aaron Hershler was standing guard at the windmill, when a group of Arab Muslims from Silwan attempted to rob his family's home in Mishkenot Sha'ananim, the first Jewish neighborhood outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.

[5] Seventy-five years after his death, Hershler was recognized by the Israel Defense Forces as the first "national martyr" in the Jewish-Arab conflict.

He is one of approximately three dozen Jews killed during Ottoman-ruled Palestine, who are commemorated as part of Israeli's annual Yom Hazikaron memorial day.

"[10][11] By chance however, the unit tasked with destroying the windmill happened to be from Ramsgate, home to Montefiore's long-time residence.

He reminded his fellow soldiers of the fact that Montefiore's alms-houses had housed and fed thousands of British men, women, and children.

Over the years the building's condition had deteriorated again and following the reunification of Jerusalem in the Six-Day War another cosmetic restoration was carried out, as part of which a decorative bronze cap was added to the structure.

[9] In 2012 the mill was completely restored to full working order using the original 1850s plans (which were located in the British Library) as a guide.

A model of Stelling Minnis windmill, built by Tom Holman, was taken to the Netherlands to raise funds for the restoration.