Restoration

In 1947, the first restoration project executed included minor repairs to the windmill and replacement of the sail stocks. The 114-foot spars made out of 6 tons of laminated wood were shipped from Portland, Oregon to replace two deteriorated windmill blades. According to an article written by Krista Hauser, "it [the spars] was so large that it took up three railroad cars and entangled traffic all afternoon." Since the 1947 restoration, there have been several attempts to rehabilitate the Murphy Windmill. In the late 1960's, Eleanor Rossi Crabtree, daughter to former San Francisco mayor Angelo Rossi, campaigned to restore both windmills to bring them back to their former glory. However, as the restoration costs rose, the Murphy Windmill was eventually dropped from the program.

In 2002, the Recreation and Parks Department began a three-phase construction project that involved cataloguing every piece of the mill, dismantleing of the wood and iron elements, salvaging pieces that could be reused, and restoration of the cap structure. The cap elements were transported to Holland by ship and reconditioned by the Dutch millwright Lucas Verbij. It took several years to restore the 64-ton copper dome. The second phase involved rehabilitating the concrete base and the slate-clad tower, as well as installing the cap, sails, and gears.



The third and final phase will include a water pumping system and landscape improvements.

Copper Dome
The dome and fantail were restored to match the original design and details.

On September 12, 2011, the restored 64-ton cap was placed back onto the tower structure. The copper-clad dome was shipped to The Netherlands in 2002 for repair and restoration.

Dome Interior
Depicted here, in the interior of the dome, from front to back, is the manual steering wheel which controls the position of the dome, the primary gear assembly and the brake wheel. All of these features are original, refurbished components.

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Murphy Windmill
Murphy Windmill
Roald Amundsen
Historical Site
Ticket to Ride
Turning Sand to Gold
A Memorable Muse
Hints of History
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