Murphy Windmill is located on King Drive at Great Highway. A gift of local banker Samuel G. Murphy in 1905, it was built to supply much needed water to the rapidly developing park. The windmills' pars were 2 ft. square at the hub and 8 inches square at the tip. They were 57 ft. long from center to tip, made from Oregon pine, and were cut from a single log. The dome was made of copper, while slate shingles covered its sides. Reputed to be the largest mill in the world at the time, it could pump 40,000 gallons of water an hour. The Restoration The process of restoration of Murphy Windmill, begun in 1993, is now fully underway. Early in 2002, the windmill was disassembled and the windmill cap was shipped to the Netherlands for restoration by Lucas Verbij, a Dutch windmill expert. After local renovation, the base will meet safety standards and be ready for new uses. New sails will be installed and operable once the "cap" is back in place. The interior will be opened up for the public to view and enjoy the working parts of this unique windmill. For more information, see: Campaign to Save the Golden Gate Park Windmills website Architectual firm M.D. Fotheringham is designing new gardens and grounds that will tie both the Murphy and Dutch windmills together. For more information on the design, see: Golden Gate Park Windmills plan website.

---

How it was at Murphy Windmill:
The condition of the Murphy Windmill at the time just prior to restoration, was a state of severe disrepair. A shadow of its former self, the Windmill had lost its sails, fan tail and deck. Interior wood stairs and supports were rotting, and many of the exterior slate shingles were missing or hanging at odd angles. Until recently, the 114 foot arms of the windmill could still be seen laying in a pile overgrown with blackberry vines nearby.
The Millwright's Cottage The Millwright's Cottage requires extensive seismic work that is not within the scope of the current restoration project. It is hoped that funds can be acquired at some future time to restore this building so that it can serve a public use.

---