De Ooievaar (The Stork)

Oil mill close to the Queen Juliana Bridge in Zaandam

De Ooievaar was moved from Assendelft to Zaandam in 1669 and re-assembled on the Kalverringdijk where it still stands today! Originally De Ooievaar was an oil mill in Assendelft before being resurrected in Zaandam as an oil mill.  
For many years, however, De Ooievaar lived another life - just as many of its peers.

After 1897, the mill was used to grind husks and thereafter cocoa waste until it finally fell silent. The Zaan area used to have hundreds of this kind of mill. The Society is fortunate enough to have two other mills within its ranks: De Zoeker and De Bonte Hen. These mills were used to produce various sorts of vegetable oils, such as linseed oil, rapeseed oil and coleseed oil, to name but a few.

In 1936, De Ooievaar was finally closed down. The mill gradually fell into disrepair until there was virtually nothing left of it. That is until the Society decided to embrace its wreck in September 1955.
A restoration plan was drawn up immediately which fortunately received the necessary approvals from the appropriate authorities.
A year later, the mill looked like a million dollars and was once again taken in production. 

For the last half century, De Ooievaar has gazed out over the Zaan towards its neighbour across the water in Zaandijk - the flour mill known as De Bleeke Dood.

The mill is not open to the public.

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