The Windmill

It Started with a Dream

It began with a simple but bold idea, to bring a piece of Denmark to the Iowa prairie. After a trip overseas in 1975, Harvey Sornson returned home convinced that one of the old windmills he loved could be saved and given new life in Elk Horn.

That dream didn’t stay his alone for long. The community rallied around it, raising funds and committing to something that had never been done before. They purchased a windmill built in 1848, carefully dismantled it in Denmark, and sent it on a journey across the ocean to its new home.

When it arrived, the real work began. Piece by piece, more than 300 volunteers rebuilt the mill, restoring it not just as a structure, but as a living connection to Danish heritage and craftsmanship. They created a real, working windmill you can experience from the inside out.

Today, it remains the only working Danish windmill in the United States.