Smock mill

The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded, thatched, or shingled tower, usually with six or eight sides.

[4] They reached their heyday in the earlier part of the 19th century, after which the advent of steam power started the decline of the windmill.

[citation needed] St Patrick's Tower in Dublin is believed to have once been the largest smock windmill in Europe.

It is the only survivor of four smock mills that once stood on Popsquachet ("windy hill" in the Wampanoag language) overlooking Nantucket town.

It was sold again in 1866 to John Francis Sylvia, a Portuguese miller of Azorean descent, who operated it for many years with his assistant Peter Hoy until it fell into disuse in 1892.

In 1897 Miss Caroline French purchased the mill at an auction for $850 and donated it to the Nantucket Historical Association (NHA).

Characterized by their wooden coverings resembling smocks, these mills have evolved from agricultural necessities to important historical symbols, embodying the region's heritage.