The mill “De Schoolmeester” (The School-teacher), in former times also nicknamed as “De Gauwdief” (quick-thief), is dated from 1692. It is a hexagonal bovenkruier (windmill of which only the cap is movable) with scaffolding. Together with the nearby situated mill “Het Prinsenhof”, “De Schoolmeester” defines the image of Westzaan, seen from the east-side, an image that fades more and more by the way because of the growing development.
Remarkable is the very large barn for drying the paper. A part of the going works of the paper-mill must come from the pulled down paper-mill “Het Springend Hert” (The Jumping Deer) in the Frisian Makkum. “De Schoolmeester”, since 1976 owned by “De Zaansche Molen”, is the only existing and working wind-paper-mill in the world.
The love of the former owners, fam. De Jong, saved this unique mill from the demolishing-hammer in the past