Vollis Simpson’s Windmill Farm

Vollis Simpson is an 87-year-old retired mechanic with a passion for windmills and whirligigs. From PBS’s Off the Map: Backyard Travelogue:
For Vollis Simpson, whirligigs had long been a practical solution to everyday problems. Serving in Saipan in the Mariana Islands during World War II, Simpson built a whirligig to power a washing machine. Years later, back at home, he looked to whirligigs to power a heating system for his house. It was not until 1985 that Simpson began to appreciate whirligigs for their less-than utilitarian qualities. He began making whirligigs on his farm from cast-off machine parts simply to see how they would move in the wind.
Simpson’s Windmill Farm in Lucama, NC now includes dozens of eccentric and colorful wind-powered kinetic sculptures constructed out of industrial and household junk. Don’t miss this video and “From Windmills to Whirlygigs: A Converstion With Vollis Simpson.“
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