Chatham Windmill (Godfrey Windmill)

The historic Chatham Windmill is located southwest of downtown Chatham, Massachusetts. It is located between Shattuck and Gristmill Lanes in the southern corner of Chase Park. It’s a wood-frame building perched on a bluff above Mill Pond on Chatham’s south side. It is three floors tall, with an octagonal shape that tapers to a gabled crown, and is clad in wood shingles. The side faces of the cap are slightly bent. Wind vanes are connected to one of the cap’s gabled ends. The structures include entrances on the northern and southern sides, as well as small windows on the second level.

Benjamin Godfrey erected the mill in 1797, and it was used to process maize. It was originally on Stage Harbor Road before being transferred to its current location in 1955, the year it was donated to the town. Its construction methods indicate that the builder was from the southeast of England. The mill remained operational until 1907 when it was severely damaged by a storm. It was damaged again by heavy weather in 1929, despite the fact that it had been restored.

The mill has undergone multiple phases of rehabilitation, including the replacement of worn and rotten sections. The mill is used as a museum during the summer months, and the town hires a miller to grind grain on occasion.

After viewing the windmill, be sure to check out these iconic spots which are all within about a one-mile radius:

• The Octagon House
• Chatham Bars Inn
• Weller Windmill Chatham
• Hydrangea Walk Chatham
• Chatham Lighthouse
• Chatham Fish Pier