by Shaune Lee
LANCASTER—Drivers turning onto Crawfords Corner Road from Regina Road have a new landmark by which to navigate. After two months of hard work, Bill and Pam Gurley recently brought a nearly-100- year-old windmill back to life.
Originally purchased by Bill’s great-grandfather, William Kincaid Pitman Sr., also known as “Papa King,” the 45-foot-tall 1937 Aermotor windmill sat for decades on his property, pumping water to support his large family and his extensive farming enterprises. After his death in the late 1940s, the house fell into disrepair and had to be demolished— but the windmill, left behind, ended up being semi-protected by the grove of trees that surrounded it, said Pam Gurley.
The Gurleys, since moving to the Northern Neck 28 years ago, have taken on more than one restoration project, starting with Bill’s grandfather’s house. Putting life back into an old windmill, however, proved to be very different, made more difficult because Pitman’s land was recently sold. In what Pam calls an “intense and exciting” whirlwind, they had only a few weeks to safely dismantle the windmill, move it onto their own land and begin restoring it.
Between research, repairs, a lot of painting, and speaking with craftsmen across the country, the windmill became the focus of many of their waking moments, she said.
With the help of John Morganthaler of Ophelia—who also recently restored the Steamboat Era Museum’s pilot house—and Cliff Greve of Farnham, the Gurleys were able to restore parts of the windmill that had been used for target practice in years past, and plan the specifics of moving and rebuilding. When moving day—Saturday, May 15—finally came, Morganthaler, Greve, Bill Gurley, John Sullivan and Mike Baughan of Baughan Tire were ready with everything they needed, from rope to a boom truck.
The whole process took about an hour, and when the windmill was placed on the top of the newly re-erected tower, over a dozen onlookers who’d gathered broke into delighted cheers and applause. Bill and Pam Gurley, smiling broadly, expressed elation at finally having the windmill “home.”
“It’ll be a new landmark in the Regina area,” said Pam Gurley.
“But we’re just so happy to finally have it back.”
And, yes, they’ll be singing about it.
