Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
The 2012 California Governor’s Historic Preservation Awards were presented on November
29th at Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park in Sacramento. There were a total of
11 projects or individuals that received awards. What follows is the presentation made at the
awards ceremony about one of the 2012 award winners. Murphy Windmill in Golden Gate Park
Murphy Windmill, commonly believed to be the largest windmill of its kind in the world,
is the second of two windmills located on the western edge of San Francisco’s Golden
Gate Park. The 95-foot-high tower was constructed in 1907 to irrigate the park. The windmill
operated almost 30 years, then fell into disrepair. The windmill is a municipally-owned site,
one of a group of early 20th century structures defining the origins of Golden Gate Park.
Its construction was made possible by a donation from Samuel G. Murphy, a San Francisco banker.
J.C.H. Stut, a mechanical engineer trained at San Francisco’s Union Ironworks, designed
it based on traditional Dutch mechanical elements. The restoration project was initiated by concerned
citizens, who organized the Campaign to Save the Golden Gate Park Windmills, and was successfully
completed as a public/private partnership. The object of the nine-year project, actively
supported by San Francisco’s Dutch community and the Netherlands Consulate, was to restore
the windmill to operating condition and use it to educate the public about sustainable
practices. Raising funds in a two phase, multi-year project in an uncertain economic climate proved
one of the team’s greatest challenges. That funding was found and the project completed
is a testament to the commitment, ingenuity, and tenacity of all involved. Congratulations
to all the winners of the 2012 California Governor’s Historic Preservation Awards.
Please view the additional videos available on this site for information about the other
2012 awards. For more information about this awards program, visit www.ohp.parks.ca.gov/governorsawards.