The Fabyan Boathouse. - Geneva, IL
This is a boathouse that sits on the lovely banks of the Fox River(in Geneva, Illinois) and was part of the estate establised in 1905 by Colonel George Fabyan and his wife Nelle. George Fabyan was a millionaire businessman who inherited his tycoon-father's textile business, Bliss, Fabyan & Co., located in Chicago. Over the following 20 years the Fabyans acquired over 300 acres and developed their estate, called "Riverbank", which is now part of the Fabyan Forest Preserve. The Boathouse was built with a Japanese pagoda-syle roof and housed the Fabyans' boats. There was an undergound channel which allowed for the boats to be lifted directly out of the water through a trap door in the floor.The boathouse was also a station on a street car line, which ran along the Fox River.
Fabyan Windmill, Geneva, IL
The Fabyan Windmill is an authentic, working Dutch windmill dating from the 1850s.During the 1850s, the Fabyan Windmill was constructed by German craftsmen on a site in York Township, Illinois. By the early 20th century, the windmill had fallen into a state of disrepair. In 1914, George Fabyan purchased the disused windmill for approximately $8,000 and had it moved to its present location in Geneva Township on the east side of the Fox River. In order to move the windmill,it was slowly dismantled piece by piece, with Roman numerals carved into the beams and braces to facilitate correct reconstruction. Some of the largest beams had to be hauled by a team of mules.After nineteen months, the relocation and reconstruction were completed.
The wind-powered mill is a type that was rarely built in the United States, where grist mills are usually powered by water. Its wooden gears and nail-less construction techniques are of interest both technically and architecturally.
Fabyan Windmill, Geneva, IL
