Oughton Estate Windmill, Western Illinois Travel Guide

The Oughton Estate Windmill, located at 101 W South St, Dwight, IL, is a prominent reminder of the town's past. Built in 1896 for John R. Oughton, it originally served as a pumping tower for the Oughton Estate, which later became the site of the Keeley Institute, an alcohol rehabilitation center.The windmill, constructed by the U.S. Wind, Engine and Pump Company of Batavia, Illinois, features a five-story, eight-sided, steel-framed structure. It drew water from an 840-foot deep well, storing it in an 88-barrel cypress tank at the top. The windmill's head, measuring 16 feet across, was one of the largest in the United States at the time.In 1977, the Ohlendorf family replaced the head with a new one shipped from South America, and further repairs and restorations were carried out in 2003. That same year, the Mike Hogan Family donated the landmark to the Village of Dwight. The Oughton Estate, including the windmill, was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1980.Today, visitors can admire the restored windmill and stroll the surrounding grounds, which include a pond and the Prairie Creek District Library, once the Oughton carriage house. While tours inside the structure are not currently available, the windmill remains a popular spot for photographs and a symbol of Dwight's rich history.