Wooden mill Melsen (disappeared)

Melsen also had two windmills in the past. Remarkably, they both once belonged to the same mulder, namely Pieter Mehauden from Munkzwalm. Between the Gaversesteenweg and the Beekstraat there was a wooden stake mill. It was probably built in the 15th century and was owned by the Van der Gracht family, lords of Melsen. On 08 April 1758 the corn windmill was sold to Pieter Mehauden; causing the windmill to detach from the glory. In 1812 it was owned by miller Augustinus Van Oostende,
nephew and servant of Pieter Mehauden. It was sold in 1845 to Jacques Verhaeghe-Van Poucke and
came into the possession of Alfred Verhaeghen-De Smet de Naeyer, landowner and mayor of Melsen. The mill changed hands a number of times, but was always served by descendants of Augustinus Van Oostende. During the 1st World War, the mill suffered serious damage. In 1951 the wooden mill was listed, but on August 8, 1960, a gust of wind killed him. The rubble was cleared and the mill hill was excavated.

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