Once, Schermerhorn was surrounded by fresh water and the village was the home port of fisherman and whalers. When the Scher Lake and the Beemster Lake were reclaimed, the village was suddenly surrounded by land. It became a place for market gardeners, who sometimes had to work very hard to maintain their large families. A family with no less than 12 children once lived in ‘the smallest house’, a former market gardener's dwelling. Visit in and you'll ask yourself where they put all those children.
From the bridge you have a great view over the fields around the village and the many windmills will catch your eye. In those days they were used to pump out the water during the reclamation process. It is now possible to visit one of the three windmills beside the Noordervaart. In the Museum Windmill you can learn about how the Schermer was reclaimed and there is also a display showing how miller families lived in those days.