Mill of Oelegem

The Molen van Oelegem is a belt mill of the type top crawler in the village of Oelegem, in the municipality of Ranst in Belgium. The mill is also called Stone Mill to distinguish it from the wooden standerdmolen that was located outside the village until 1940 when that mill burned down.

Construction began in 1845 on behalf of Martinus De Winter and it is said that the mill was not milled until 1854. In 1891 the heirs sold the mill to Jan-Baptist Heylen, the then mayor of Oelegem. The installation was used less and less due to the rise of mechanical mills. By the end of World War I, the mill was last active in commercial service. Since that time, the building has served various other functions: garage, warehouse, room for the Catholic Workers' Youth and as a country residence. During the Second World War, the masonry was damaged by shelling and in 1942 the mill was given the status of a monument. In 1962 the exterior was restored, which temporarily prevented further decay. Since 1982, the local community De Brakken van Oelegem has been responsible for the monument.

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