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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
_______________________________
The Campaign to Save the Golden Gate Park
Windmills officially kicks-off on June 26
A public and private fundraising campaign
is underway to restore the two windmills located at the western
end of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park
_______________________________
SAN FRANCISCO, JUNE 26, 2002 - Today marks the
official kick-off of the Campaign to Save the Golden Gate Park Windmills
(The Windmill Campaign), a public and private fundraising campaign
spearheaded by a group of concerned citizens to restore the two
windmills located at the western end of San Francisco’s Golden
Gate Park. Along with the City and County of San Francisco and Recreation
and Park Department, the Campaign is committed to raise $3.9 million
to restore the Murphy (South) Windmill and a projected $2.7 million
to renovate the interior of the Dutch (North) Windmill, enhance
the grounds surrounding the windmills and develop educational programming.
To date, $1.9 million – approximately half the funds needed
– has been raised to restore the South Windmill in this first
phase of the restoration process.
To officially kick-off the Campaign, city officials, project partners
and donors gathered on June 26 as project engineers dismantled the
South Windmill’s dome and pump mechanism via crane. Construction
crew members then packaged these parts for their journey to the
Netherlands to be repaired by windmill designer Lucas Verbij. Since
1868, Lucas Verbij’s Netherlands-based family business has
been constructing, restoring and maintaining windmills throughout
the world. Lucas traveled to San Francisco in 1993 and, under the
direction of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and
San Francisco Beautiful, provided the City with an extensive study
of the South Windmill. Lucas and his team will undertake the task
of restoring and rebuilding the South Windmill’s dome, sails,
fantail and shaft to demonstrable capacity.
Additional project partners include architect Cindy Sterry of Sterry
Architecture, contractor Mark de Jong of Bloemendal Construction,
landscape architect Mike Fotheringham of M D Fotheringham Landscape
Architects, fund development director Paula March of Marchpartners,
historic architects Carey and Company and structural engineers Tannenbaum-Manheim
Engineers. Key donors to date include the City and County of San
Francisco, Lane-Propstra family, Frank Campini Foundation, California
State Coastal Conservancy, Elizabeth and Stephen Bechtel, Jr. Foundation,
ABN AMRO and ABN AMRO Sage Corporation, Ex’Pression Center
for New Media, Rhoda and Richard Goldman Foundation, CAW Foundation,
San Francisco Beautiful, National Trust for Historic Preservation,
Pope-Talbot Lumber Company, Mr. Keith Provo and Autodesk.
The North and South Windmills were built in 1902 and 1905 to irrigate
the west-end of Golden Gate Park – from Strawberry Hill to
the Pacific Ocean. Together the mills provided the park with 70,000
gallons of water every hour, transforming Golden Gate Park’s
sand dunes into the lush, green oasis that San Francisco residents
and visitors enjoy every day.
The windmills’ functionality was short-lived: by 1913, the
windmills fell victim to the advent of electrical power. Motorized
pumps made the windmills obsolete, and they soon began to suffer
from neglect. Over the years, storms, sand and salt air and lack
of maintenance have taken their toll on the windmills.
In June 2000, San Francisco Supervisor Mark Leno announced a pledge
of $500,000 on behalf of the City of San Francisco to support the
windmills’ restoration process. At this meeting, Don Propstra,
a San Francisco businessman, psychotherapist and philanthropist,
offered to take the leadership for a campaign to save the windmills
in Golden Gate Park. Since that time, the City has pledged an additional
$500,000 towards the Campaign and the steering committee has grown
to include a diverse group of individuals and organizational partners
throughout the Bay Area and the world.
“Golden Gate Park’s two windmills play a tremendous
role in the shaping of Golden Gate Park and in San Francisco’s
overall history,” said Don Propstra, chairman for the Windmill
Campaign. “I am passionate about saving these two San Francisco
landmarks and ensuring that the City’s residents and visitors
can enjoy these historical treasures for years to come.”
Restoration efforts are expected to last through 2004 and include
plans to restore the South Windmill to demonstrable capacity and
continue the preservation and maintenance of the original structure
and design of both the North and South Windmills. New landscaping
will link the giant structures back to the surrounding grounds,
creating a hiking and biking pathway circling the two windmills.
The goal is to have the windmills and surrounding grounds restored,
revitalized and fully accessible for educational and recreational
purposes – ready to receive visitors and take their place
as treasured icons of San Francisco history.
“The City’s pledge of $1 million demonstrates our support
of the Windmill Campaign and the efforts put forth to save these
two valuable San Francisco landmarks,” said Elizabeth Goldstein,
general manager of San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.
San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr., stated that “the
City is grateful to Windmill Campaign representatives for leading
the restoration efforts, and is dedicated to doing its part to ensure
a successful Campaign and restoration process.”
To volunteer, donate to the Windmill Campaign or for general information,
please call Paula March at (415) 668-0763 or email the Campaign
at marchpartners@hotmail.com. Please also visit the Windmill Campaign
web site at www.goldengateparkwindmills.org.
PLEASE NOTE:
B-roll is readily available by calling Katherine Madariaga at 415.561.0888
x 2318. Photos are readily available at www.goldengateparkwindmills.org
or by calling Katherine Madariaga at 415.561.0888 x 2318.
About the Campaign to Save the Golden Gate Park Windmills
The Campaign to Save the Golden Gate Park Windmills (The Windmill
Campaign) is a public and private fundraising campaign spearheaded
by a group of concerned citizens to restore the two windmills located
at the western end of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Along
with the City and County of San Francisco and Recreation and Park
Department, the Campaign is committed to raise $3.9 million to restore
the Murphy (South) Windmill and a projected $2.7 million to renovate
the interior of the Dutch (North) Windmill, enhance the grounds
surrounding the windmills and develop educactional programming.
The project is expected to take approximately three years and includes:
a complete restoration of the South Windmill, the interior renovation
of the North Windmill, an enhancement of the grounds surrounding
the windmills and the development of educational programming.
Honorary Committee
Don Propstra, chairman
Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr.
John Murray, commissioner, Department of Recreation and Park
Val Diamond, actress and singer
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Robert Charles Friese, Esq., community volunteer
Stanlee Gatti, San Francisco Arts Commission
Elizabeth Goldstein, general manager, Department of Recreation and
Park
Assemblywoman Carole Migden
Hendrika Neys, Frank Campini Foundation
Assemblyman Kevin Shelley
Lucas Verbij, Verbij Hoogmade BV – Windmill Restoration
The Honorable Joris M. Vos, Ambassador from the Netherlands
Steering Committee
Don Propstra, chair
Cindy Sterry, architect and treasurer
Dianne Barkley, ABN AMRO
Donna Miller Casey, community volunteer
Patricia and Joseph Costello, community volunteers
Mark de Jong, Bloemendal Construction Company
Ray Dracker, Bechtel Group and National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Mercedes Devine, Executive Director, Society of California Pioneers
Robert Charles Friese, community volunteer
Rebecca Green, President, Friends of Recreation and Parks
Mariska Hennerberque, Dutch community liaison
Gary Hoy, Department of Park and Recreation
Sheila Kolenc, San Francisco Beautiful
Astrid Laanan, community volunteer
Peter Laanen, Ex’Pression Center for New Media
Michael Leo, Friends of Recreation and Parks
Clara I. McInerney, community volunteer
Ann Mead, project manager for the Statue of Responsibility
Meagan Levitan, public relations and community affairs consultant
Hendrika Neys, Frank A. Campini Foundation
Gaby Jackson Renstrom, Esq., community volunteer
Michael Spock, museum designer and educator
Adrianna Pope Sullivan, business development for Carlisle Collection
Project Partners
Sterry Architecture
Bloemendal Construction
M D Fotheringham Landscape Architects
Ex’Pression Center for New Media
Marchpartners
Carey and Company
Tannenbaum-Manheim Engineers
Landis Communications Inc.
Members of the Dutch community
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