The Bronson Windmill in Fairfield, CT is Actually a Cell Tower

The Bronson Windmill is the last remaining example of the many windmills that once dotted Fairfield, Connecticut’s landscape. Built in 1893-94 by the Corcoran Storm-Defying Windmills Company of New York City and Jersey City, the 80-foot-tall octagonal tower was a vital component of Verna Farm, an estate owned by Frederic Bronson, Jr.

Made of hemlock, the windmill stands 105 feet high to the top of the wheel. Initially, a team of horses operated a screw device to draw water from a well 75 feet below ground. Wind power then pumped water into the 7,500-gallon wooden storage tank 70 feet up inside the windmill, ensuring a reliable water supply for the property. When full, the water tank weighed over 31 tons.

Located at 3015 Bronson Road, the windmill remains one of Fairfield’s most distinctive landmarks. Anchored to the ground by locust beams and iron rods, its shingled, tapering structure and domed roof give it a unique architectural presence. Bronson had built a three-story mansion nearby and the mill was apparently scaled to match its grandeur.

Over the years, the property transformed into the Fairfield Country Day School, but the windmill endured. In 1971, it was gifted to the town to ensure its preservation. A severe storm in 1996 inflicted damage, but thanks to the Fairfield Historical Society, the windmill was restored.

Today, the restored windmill is also an active cell tower. The windmill’s bell crown has been re-clad with faux-wooden material made to look like the original shingles and allows for the transmission of wireless signals. It was leased to Sprint, which carefully retrofitted its interior.