Ribbon-Cutting For Westhampton Beach Windmill 'Steeped In History' Coming Soon

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held soon in Westhampton Beach for a windmill steeped in history that's found a new home and future in the village.

The ceremony for the Governor John Adams Dix Windmill will be held on July 2 at 10 a.m. on the Great Lawn in Westhampton Beach. The windmill was donated by Didi and Alan Hutt, with relocation and renovation funded by the Southampton Town Community Preservation Fund, the estate of Genevieve Lanyon, Westhampton Historical Society donors, Village of Westhampton Beach donors, and the Greater Westhampton Chamber of Commerce.

The quest to save the windmill was a winding saga with many heroes. In 2022, the windmill began its next chapter as the storied structure was moved down Main Street from its longtime location at 89 Seafield Lane to the Great Lawn, where it was restored, according to then-Westhampton Beach Village Mayor, and current Southampton Town Supervisor, Maria Moore.

Efforts to move and preserve the windmill, built around 1870, had been underway for months.

To that end, the Westhampton Beach Historical Society commenced efforts to raise funds. A GoFundMe page, "Save the Westhampton Beach Windmill," organized by Eleanor Kobel and Brian Tymann to benefit the windmill, wrote: "This windmill is steeped in history in Westhampton Beach."

According to Moore, the former address for the premises was 15 Sunswyck Lane.

Moore said in recent years, the property was purchased in June, 2021 by Adam and DiDi Hutt. The Hutts offered the "smock"-style windmill — built around 1870 — to the village after deciding that they were unable to incorporate the structure into their new construction.

Smock windmills were so named, said Ed Wesnofske, chairman of Southampton Town's Landmarks and Historic District Board in a historic designation application to preserve the structure, because of the roof style resemblance to the smocks farmers and millers traditionally wore.

The windmill was originally constructed on property owned by New York Gov. John A. Dix, where he built the first house and accessory buildings in 1870, the application said.

"To preserve this iconic piece of history, known as the Gov. John Adams Dix Windmill, moving it to the village-owned property located at 35 Great Lawn, Westhampton Beach, the Westhampton Beach Historical Society can continue its mission of preserving this historical structure for educational programs and exhibition," the GoFundMe page said.

Dix, born in 1798, served as governor of New York from 1872 to 1874.

"Upon his death, his son the Rev. Dr. Morgan Dix inherited the property in 1879. Reverend Dix sold the property to Desmond Dunne, Brooklyn Commissioner of Public Works and large landholder in early 1902," the application said.

The windmill was designed to pump water for agriculture, livestock and household purposes, rather than for milling corn or wheat or sawing timber, the application indicated. The windmill survived the Hurricane of '38. Currently, there are 11 restored early windmills on Long Island, but none that pumped water, the historic designation application stated.

This windmill is the only one on the East End of Long Island that was specifically used for the purpose of pumping water, the Westhampton Beach Historical Society said.

"Westhampton Beach has previously been referred to as the 'Windmill Town', as referenced in Historical Sketches of Westhampton Beach . . due to the number of the windmills located in the village, primarily used for pumping water to residence, prior to the installation of the public water infrastructure," the application said.

The village, Moore said, planned to preserve the iconic piece of history by moving it to the village-owned property located at 35 Great Lawn; the village restored and maintained the structure.

However, she said, funding was a critical component of the plan. Southampton Town's Community Preservation Funds could be used, as long as the windmill was landmarked, Moore said.

"Our preservation consultant estimated the cost to move and restore the windmill to be approximately $250,000, but that did not factor in prevailing wage, which is required on all municipal projects," she said.

Because Westhampton Beach Village does not have the capacity to landmark structures, village officials worked to enter into an inter-municipal agreement with Southampton Town to green light the town to embark upon the landmarking process.

Moore said an application to the Southampton Town Landmarks and Historic District Board was prepared by Westhampton Beach Village Planner Kyle Collins in consultation with Jack L. Jones acting as the village's preservation consultant.

The application to landmark the subject windmill was discussed at a LHDB's meeting, at which a resolution was adopted, finding that the subject windmill would be eligible for town landmarking, subject to the village and town entering into a IMA authorizing the town to landmark the windmill within the incorporated village — along with the authority to enforce the obligations that come with landmarking a structure, Moore said.

The LHDB then submitted a request to the town board; a resolution scheduled a public hearing on the IMA.

The Southampton Town attorney prepared the draft IMA, Moore said.

In addition, then-New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele has said he would recommend the project for a State Aid to Municipalities grant, so the village submitted a formal request to him, as well as to the town's Community Preservation Fund, Moore said.

"This is a good example of local governments working together to accomplish a shared goal, in this case, preserving a piece of our East End history for future generations," Moore said.

She added: "It feels great to preserve a piece of the village’s history. This first step in the process would not have happened without Adam and Didi Hutt who donated the windmill to the Village, Jack L. Jones, our historic preservation consultant, Eleanor Kobel, Brian Tymann and the Westhampton Beach Historical Society for running a successful GoFundMe campaign and all those who donated, Rev. Jubinski and the Wardens of St. Marks Church for agreeing to allow the placement on the Great Lawn, and the Town of Southampton for landmarking the windmill. With the support of the Southampton town board, the Community Preservation Fund and Assemblyman Thiele, the village will now begin the process of restoring the windmill to its original its original splendor," she said at the time.

And, said local business owner Elyse Richman: "It’s nice they are saving some of the history of this village. Great job to the Westhampton Beach Historical Society, and the Village of Westhampton Beach."