Windmill in the Willows-Vacation Rental

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Windmill in the Willows-Vacation Rental Ever wanted to stay inside a real windmill? Welcome to Windmill in the Willows—a one-of-a-kind, 5-story tower tucked into a quiet corner of Lorain.

This isn’t just a place to sleep—it’s an experience you’ll be talking about long after your trip. We are nearing the finish line of our 4-year project turning this 1950 Gristmill into a unique vacation home. Joseph Ule broke ground on this iconic building in 1950 making this year the 75th Anniversary of his dream. Paul and I are not investors just flipping to make a buck. We are a husband-and-wife team that do things right the first time. Our craftsmanship, attention to detail, and design are custom works of art. Our heart and souls, blood, sweat, and tears go into what we create. We demand high standards and respect for our property. We seek guests who are interested in what we have to offer combined with a truly unique experience. This isn't just a hotel room. We will sleep in these beds too, we will shower in these bathrooms, we will make memories here as well as you. Each and every aspect of your stay, has been given a test run by our family. We offer a highly comforting, cozy, and serene atmosphere. As our mission continues, we plan to have a working farm on the premises so guests may pick their own fruit and vegetables during their stay. Fresh farm eggs will be complimentary with a stay in our windmill. We don't wish to take a hands-off approach. If you would like to meet up and talk with us about the history of the property we would like nothing more than to do so. We also plan to offer additional optional perks in the future such as learning opportunities about farm life and sustainable, homestead living.

This week was probably the most rewarding and important milestone on our windmill journey. We had the privilege of hosti...
10/30/2026

This week was probably the most rewarding and important milestone on our windmill journey. We had the privilege of hosting our most special guests- Joe Ule's (builder of the windmill) daughter Ulla and her family. Ulla was raised in the storybook home until the age of 14 when they relocated. We had the most amazing Q&A, debunking many myths as we continue to collect all the history, stories and facts. As always, one of our goals is to preserve the energy, positivity, and sustainability that Joe intended. We are forever grateful we took on this challenge as we continue to meet all the kind, generous, considerate, and gracious guests!

Meet your hosts! We are Paul and Ashley. Together we transform all kinds of spaces, this is our second full home renovat...
10/28/2026

Meet your hosts!

We are Paul and Ashley. Together we transform all kinds of spaces, this is our second full home renovation. We have multiple decades of experience and backgrounds in home remodeling and design. We bought the windmill to transform our lives for the better and make the hard choices for a brighter future. Paul is a master craftsman whose problem solving skills never cease to amaze me. We have 3 children that we work diligently to teach the value of a dollar, how hard work is rewarded, and the meaning of respect. When you book a vacation with us, you are supporting a family that works hard to be where we are. The windmill has an energy that we have valued from the moment we walked over the sandstone threshold. This is not just a rental, this is our work of art, it's walls hold lots of stories and we want nothing more for others to create the best kind of memories here.

Gorgeous fall day 🍁
10/26/2026

Gorgeous fall day 🍁

Gorgeous weather last night for some updated photos!
10/20/2026

Gorgeous weather last night for some updated photos!

The windmill got all dressed up for Christmas yesterday so I (Ashley) could photograph the Ad for my holiday card mini s...
10/19/2026

The windmill got all dressed up for Christmas yesterday so I (Ashley) could photograph the Ad for my holiday card mini sessions :) with my business New Arrivals Photography. If you are local and interested, you can sign-up starting tomorrow :)

We love our 5 Star reviews but I especially love reading the guest book 🥰
10/18/2026

We love our 5 Star reviews but I especially love reading the guest book 🥰

Our two new longest distance guests 😍
10/14/2026

Our two new longest distance guests 😍

Our son was off to homecoming last weekend but the "before" photos were at the Windmill 😍
10/10/2026

Our son was off to homecoming last weekend but the "before" photos were at the Windmill 😍

The June 1960 issue of Mechanix Illustrated featured a write up about Joe Ule and the windmill. We were able to track do...
10/08/2026

The June 1960 issue of Mechanix Illustrated featured a write up about Joe Ule and the windmill. We were able to track down and purchase a couple copies 🙂

We hope you all have been enjoying our deep dive into the historical aspects of our very special city icon!

This image from roughly 1968 vividly shows the only blades that were ever on the windmill known as the fantail. Luckily ...
10/07/2026

This image from roughly 1968 vividly shows the only blades that were ever on the windmill known as the fantail. Luckily we have this artifact on the property (not in the best condition but nonetheless) and in time we plan to give it a special home to feature the history. Also shown in the image was a two bay detached garage/barn that was to the front left of the goat barn. Unfortunately, this structure is no longer present and we haven't ever run across any remnants or the footprint.

Address

4630 Kolbe Road
Lorain, OH
44053

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