Windmills on Their Minds

The North Windmill in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is still standing, though in need of repair. The South Windmill has been dismantled and is undergoing complete restoration.

Two windmills were built for San Francisco's Golden Gate Park at the turn of the 20th century, the north windmill (Dutch Windmill) and the south windmill, the Murphy Mill (name after its banking benefactor, Samuel Murphy). The mills were utilitarian, pumping water for irrigation, although that function was long ago supplanted by electrical power.

Though the Dutch Windmill was renovated in 1981, it is again in need of repair. The Murphy Windmill, however, is undergoing a complete renovation. Mark de Jong, a Dutch contractor who lives in San Francisco and specializes in historic restoration, is in charge. For the moment, only the old concrete base remains. The base will be restored first, then the tower rebuilt. Lucas Verbij is restoring the windmill's machinery in the Netherlands. The Murphy Windmill is expected to be back up in spring 2006.

Improvements to the west end of the Park include a revitalized beachfront and soccer fields, plus upgraded parking. A community pavilion is planned for the southern end of the soccer fields near the South Windmill, and the W.P.A. murals commissioned by President Roosevelt have been restored.

Michael Fotheringham, MLA, of MD Fotheringham, Landscape Architects Inc., is part of the restoration team.

The Campaign to Save the Golden Gate Park Windmills has raised about $4.3 million of the $6.4 million funding goal. The city has contributed $1 million; the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation contributed $500,000.

For more information visit www.goldengateparkwindmills.org.