In the heart of Haarlem, the Molen de Adriaan is a smocked windmill that sits on the scenic Spaarne River. Originally built in 1778, it has recently been rebuilt after fire damage in 1932. A tour provides information about how windmills in general work and uses models and presentations to explain how various machines can be powered by wind. Visitors will likely be amazed at the versatility of these mills and how important they were for the communities that had them.The original site of the windmill is also the foundation of the tower that defended the center of town. It was used to produce cement, paint, and tan and later converted by new ownership into a tobacco mill. For centuries this was one of the most stunning windmills in Holland. When it burned in 1932, a central focal point of the city was lost. It took seventy years for the efforts of local citizens to produce enough money to rebuild the mill.