Bronson Windmill
a.k.a. See Also:Greenfield Hill Historic District
3015 Bronson Rd., Fairfield, CTThe Bronson windmill is the last in Fairfield, Connecticut, of many former majestic windmills which once were a familiar sight on the horizon and an important source of water. These are unique symbols of our forebears' achievements and are a trust we must preserve for future generations. The study of the drilling of this "first deep driven well in the area and the building of the 80-foot shingle-covered tower with its tank, underground cistern, and pumping machinery could be a fascinating and useful study in agriculture, conservation, and engineering.
Verna was the 18th-century home site of Timothy Dyright, who became president of Yale College in 1795. The following year the property was bought by Dr. Isaac Bronson. It was the grandson of Isaac Bronson, Frederic Bronson II, financier, who rebuilt Verna, which became a new three-story mansion with extensive grounds and a fam with an excellent and renowned herd of Jersey cattle. The estate was large - two to three hundred acres - and needed more water than could be obtained from rainfall. The first deep-drilled well in the area was dug here and the windmill was erected in 1893-94. It was built on the same large scale as that of the house and was much noticed.
The mill is one of the few local vestiges of the engineering of the 19th century. Letters detailing the method of construction as well as all the measurements of the parts are available for the restoration of the structure, which is expected to begin before snowfall this year.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.