Ķiru wooden windmill at Stelpe.
The structure of the mills, their equipment and parts, which were designed and tested over the centuries, were massive, but the architectural establishment of the mill buildings was simple and rational. The mill was the pride of the county, in Stelpe parish the travellers have always been greeted by windmills – Ķiru, Šķērstu and Kāravu windmills.
Today only few windmills have remained in Latvia, mainly wall structured, and only a few of them are still working.
The Ķiru windmills were constructed in 1903 from wooden lukes, although an annual figure of 1905 is indicated on the winding indicator. These windmills represent the type of Dutch-type windmills distributed in Latvia and particularly in the Zemgale plain. Ķiru windmills have been powered by electricity since the 20 th century 30’s, there still remaining the historical mechanisms and even in 2003 the windmills were operated once a week – on Friday.
From the large number of windmills in the early 20 th century, only a few mills, which are valuable and rare samples, have remained, and neither the Ķiru mill has been granted the status of an architectural monument of national importance.
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