Moinho de vento holandês e jardim das tulipas

On the far western edge of Golden Gate Park stand two wooden windmills that were built to pump groundwater for irrigating the park’s lawns and gardens, helping to transform the dunes that once covered the area.

The North, or Dutch, Windmill was built in 1902, followed by the South, or Murphy, Windmill,  completed in 1907. Motorized pumps were first installed in the Dutch Windmill in 1913 to augment the power system, and the Murphy Windmill was electrified soon after.

It’s commonly believed that the windmills were taken out of service around 1935. Cosmetic repairs to the Dutch Windmill were completed in 1980, and a renovation of the Murphy Windmill and adjacent Millwright’s Cottage was completed in 2012.

 

Queen Wilhelmina Garden


Below the towering Dutch Windmill is the Queen Wilhelmina Garden, where some 10,000 tulip bulbs planted each fall blossom the following March; interspersed with Iceland poppies, the tulips seem even more glorious and colorful. The bowl-shaped garden was designed by Roy L. Hudson and named in 1962 to honor the long-reigning queen of the Netherlands, who had died that same year. Tulips, the emblem of perfect love, originate from central Asia and Turkey, from where they were introduced into Europe and the Americas in the 17th century.

 

Informatin Provided by: San Francisco Rec and Park