De Zwaan was built around 1638 as an inland windmill. It drained the Klein-Duivendrechtse and Binnenbullewijkerpolder on the Amstel (the Amstelland reservoir), which together covered an area of 356 hectares. The mill has a flight of 25.6 meters. On July 22, the landowners of the Klein-Duivendrecht district and part of the Binnenbullewijk received a patent to dyke their land, which had previously been used jointly with the Amstelland polder. This created a polder that bordered the Westbijlmer and Laanderpolders to the east, which had their own windmills. In 1879, the polders were merged through peat extraction, creating the "Verenigde Westbijlmer- en Klein Duivendrechtse polder." This national monument is owned by the association "De Hollandsche Molen" (The Dutch Mill). In early 1900, the drained land was reclaimed, and the newly created polder was named "New Bullewijk." It was regulated by a state decree on December 21, 1909. Following an agreement of May 20 of that year, which stipulated that the remaining part of the "Verenigde Westbijlmer- en Klein Duivendrechtse polder" could divert its surplus water to the much lower-lying land under certain conditions, the steam pumping station of "Nieuwe Bullewijk" took over the function of the polder's two windmills in early 1910, when the agreement came into force. The mill of the Westbijlmer and Laanderpolders was then first partially and then completely demolished. The mill of the Klein-Duivendrechtse en Binnenbullewijkerpolder remained standing but gradually fell into disrepair. In 1930, the "De Hollandsche Molen" association took over management of the mill. It was rented out as a residential building, but the mill itself was no longer in operation. A pole was removed, and the reeds were also gradually disappearing, so demolition was considered. Source: nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Zwaan_(Ouderkerk_aan_de_Amstel)
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