Iconic Herring River Windmill Slated For Demolition

 HARWICH – The iconic windmill that greets boaters at the mouth of the Herring River could be demolished in a year.   

A one-year demolition delay was issued for the “Old Mill House,” the first home to be built in 1924 on Old Mill Point in West Harwich.   

 For 75 years the home was owned by Jane Sudgen, who passed away a year and a half ago. It is slated to be sold by John and Peter Sudgen, co-representatives of her estate. The proposed new owners, Robert and Darlene Tuner, went before the historic district and historical commission on Sept. 17 requesting that the commission invoke a 12-month demolition delay as they plan to demolish the 100-year-old structure, said attorney William Crowell.

The Tuners want to replace the house, including the windmill, he said. The property consists of two lots; the Tuners may combine the two lots or there could be two houses built on the lots, said Crowell, adding that the final plans for the property are not yet clear. 

The proponents face a long process, he added, since they need to go before the historic district and historical commission, the conservation commission, the board of health and the zoning board of appeals.

“We’re ready to waive the year and wait for the demolition delay,” Crowell said. That would provide time to find a new location for the windmill. Crowell said the Tuners will give the windmill to anyone who wants to move it at their own expense. It was pointed out the Old Mill Point Association has a vacant lot in the 40-acre waterfront development.

“It’s pictures and postcards. It’s iconic,” commission member Paul Doane said of the house, adding that the proposal was “unfortunate.” He took exception to the lack of plans to renovate the house and stressed the need to protect historic structures. He spoke of the commission’s plan to issue a historic preservation award to people who take the initiative to restore old buildings, adding that the Old Mill House would be a candidate for such an award.

“The irreplaceability of this structure is unmeasurable,” said Doane. “It’s not just a structure; the property has deep historic value.”

“The windmill has been a beacon for me,” said Herring River shorefront resident Virginia Doyle. “I’m in tears over losing this structure.”

“This is a real tragedy, not because it is an icon, but because it’s a phase in our national history,” said Planning Board Chair Duncan Berry. “It’s how Cape Cod became a resort destination.”
  William Henry Doble, a Quincy industrialist who founded the Pneumatic Scale Corporation, came to Harwich in the 1920s, purchasing the 40-acre Old Mill Point property with the help of the Chase family, Berry said. Doble built the house and developed the beachfront property as a summer getaway for family and friends. Doane said that the firm of Frederick Law Olmstead, the famed American landscape architect, designed the 40-acre Old Mill Point site. 

 The house is a distinct English Tudor-style that combines a Colonial-era structure with an antique Cape that was moved to the property. It was built in 1924 and the windmill added in 1926. 

“It’s an amazing monument and I encourage adaptive reuse,” said Berry. “The town has to come up to speed with this. We can’t expect people to do the noble thing. It’s one of the defining sites of Harwich.”

Commission member Lynne Zalesak wanted to know if Doble left instructions on what should happen to the house. Crowell said he has not done title research because the property has yet to be purchased. But he said such deeded restrictions expire after 30 years. 

“People come here for its quaintness, historic value, its looks,” said Zalesak. “If we want this town to grow we have to maintain the historic value we have. Change it and you’re diminishing the value of the town.”

“Yes, it’s iconic, but people are still coming across the bridge and tearing down what we have here,“ said resident Barbara Nickerson. “Pretty soon we’ll look like Hingham or Middleborough. It’s ‘Old Mill Point,’ not ‘Old Mansion Point.’”

Crowell said Tuner is a builder and is aware of the economic impacts and the efficiency in building a new structure.

 Commission Chair Mary Maslowski said a demolition delay will be for 12 months, not the 18 months approved by town meeting in May, because the state Attorney General’s Office has yet to approve that bylaw revision. The board voted 4-0 to implement the demolition delay through Sept. 16, 2026