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The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 9:54 pm
by h2oville rocket
Who's got the scoop on this place? And the lake as well? Is the windmill an apartment or what? Any history on it? Curious place-kind of place I'd like to live in if I were single or w/out kids.
Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 11:17 pm
by Ydfalcon
Talking about the one on Clough right? I always figured it was an apartment. But I can't say with any certainty that it is or isn't. It is one of my favorite BG curiosities though, as far as residences go. That, and the former church which also appears to now be a residence. The sight of beer cans littering the steps of that building the night after a party always amused me.
Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 6:22 am
by h2oville rocket
Ydfalcon wrote:Talking about the one on Clough right? I always figured it was an apartment. But I can't say with any certainty that it is or isn't. It is one of my favorite BG curiosities though, as far as residences go. That, and the former church which also appears to now be a residence. The sight of beer cans littering the steps of that building the night after a party always amused me.
That's the one- there's als a brick three storyon the way north on 65 that appears to be similar in that it looks like theres just one room per floor. Both are odd but the windmill has to have a great backstory. Plus a pretty nice view for ths part o the world.
Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 7:26 am
by Falcon Fanatic
Yes, it is an apt. A friend of BGFan's lived there years ago before we knew him. I always thought it'd be cool to live in a place like that!!!!
Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 12:31 pm
by BGFan
From the BGSU Center for Archival Collections:
Urschel Pond. The old stone quarry on Clough Street became Kelly Swimming Pool in the 1920s thanks to the Women's Club. In the mid-1930s, the "pool" and land were sold to Bertis H. Urschel, founder of Urshel Engineering Company, or machine works, which produced a variety of parts for government contracts, during and after World War II. Urschel is remembered for the distinctive apartment building he had constructed in the shape of a windmill, overlooking the quarry pond. The windmill was originally built to hide a pump.
Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 4:23 pm
by Tech83
When I was at BG - and if the information I was given at the time is correct - the landlord at that time only rented to women and in particular - Delta Zeta's, whose sorority house was just around the bend. I know my senior year... a couple of DZ's lived in my apartment complex and they had friends/sisters living in the windmill. Of course - that information could be completely bogus.

Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 5:44 am
by h2oville rocket
Thanks BGFan. Great info. Now, who knows anything about the three story brick structure sitting in the yard of a farmhouse on the west side of 65 just north of town. Those are my two favorite buildings in the BG area just because of the strangeness of the size-when I was looking at moving to Colorado a few yers back we were looking at houses in Nederland and found a four story built into the side of a mountain that overlooked a huge reservoir- only one or two rooms per floor- reminded me of those two structures in BG (only much larger and with MUCH better views!).
Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 10:07 am
by factman
Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 10:49 am
by Redwingtom
Okay, now that we have solved those two mysteries, does anyone know what the deal is with the unfinished house on the East side of US-23 in Michigan right around mile marker 20?
It is a huge three story house with no windows and the outer shell mostly complete that has been slowly decaying for the 11+ years that I have been commuting to Dexter, MI
Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 12:50 pm
by Pete Segaard
Tech83 wrote:When I was at BG - and if the information I was given at the time is correct - the landlord at that time only rented to women and in particular - Delta Zeta's, whose sorority house was just around the bend. I know my senior year... a couple of DZ's lived in my apartment complex and they had friends/sisters living in the windmill. Of course - that information could be completely bogus.

I lived in the apartment on the East side of the pond in 1987/88 and sorority girls (can't remember which sorority) always lived there. A guy was skating on the pond during the winter and I watched BG cops make him leave.
Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 10:32 pm
by h2oville rocket
Redwingtom wrote:Okay, now that we have solved those two mysteries, does anyone know what the deal is with the unfinished house on the East side of US-23 in Michigan right around mile marker 20?
It is a huge three story house with no windows and the outer shell mostly complete that has been slowly decaying for the 11+ years that I have been commuting to Dexter, MI
Yeah, that thing is an eyesore. Somebody had grandiose plans and not much money.
Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 10:34 pm
by h2oville rocket
Excellent info. Interesting that it struck others as odd-I'm surprised somebody hasn't fixed it up and made it into something- it would make great studios. Thanks, FM.
Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 12:04 pm
by FalconTurf
Article in the blade on it's sale for all of you interested buyers:
http://www.toledoblade.com/Real-Estate/ ... -deal.html
Re: The windmill on the LAke
Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 6:28 pm
by Flipper
That house on 23 finally fell down this past year...legend has it that an older couple was building it as a retirement home until the wife got killed in a car accident.