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Starting with the inspiration of Br. Joseph Byron and brought to fruition through his perseverance and determination throughout a lengthy process of planning, permitting, and financing, Portsmouth Abbey’s wind turbine established itself as the first of a new generation of Rhode Island wind power in the 21st century. It has been running productively ever since and has become a defining visual element of the Abbey. Historically, however, wind power here on the grounds is nothing new. While our present turbine has a distinctively contemporary look, previous centuries have seen “Old World” style windmills populating the Rhode Island horizon. Indeed, Lehigh Hill, rising at the northeast of our grounds, was home to a windmill readily visible from the early monastery and school. And while a series of storms repeatedly stripped the mill of its blades, the base remained in place until the late 1960’s. Br. Joseph outlines the historical journey of our original windmill, known as the Sherman Mill, which took a surprisingly complex path from Warren, Rhode Island to Fall River, Massachusetts, and then on to several Portsmouth locations. One still may visit this former structure of ours, preserved at Prescott Farm just down the road from us.
 

The Sherman Mill, looking west

Returning to Wind. In 2005, when we were looking for renewable energy resources to benefit the Abbey and School, we investigated solar and geothermal but decided that wind power was our best option. There was historic precedent for that decision. The Sherman wind grist mill had operated on this property for decades. It stood on Lehigh Hill toward the northern end of our property, off of West Main Road on land now leased to The Aquidneck Golf Club. Lehigh Hill is the hill you see when you look past the church to the north to the hillside green swath of the golf course. The Sherman Mill was one of a plethora of windmills that operated on Aquidneck Island in the 18th and 19th centuries when there was a great local need for flour and cornmeal from the grains grown on the area farms. Not only was Aquidneck Island an agricultural paradise because of the climate-moderating water surrounding it, but it provided ideal locations for wind power as there were virtually no trees, just walls and fields along coastlands.

The mill without blades

Many may not realize that windmills in fact were very movable buildings and quite often changed owners and locations. We learn from, "Wind Grist Mills on Aquidneck Island," published by the Middletown Historical Society, that the Robert Sherman Mill was in fact built in Warren, Rhode Island, circa 1812. It was then moved to the "Highlands" in Fall River, MA and was subsequently sold to Robert Sherman and operated on Quaker Hill in Portsmouth. It was heavily damaged by a storm in the 1870’s and was out of commission until it was sold to Benjamin Hall, who moved it to Lehigh Hill and restored it to operation. Toward the end of its operating life the mill stones were powered by a gasoline engine early in the 20th century.

Priory athletics, with base of Sherman Mill visible in right background

The Newport Historical Society purchased the mill in 1929 and fully restored it, only to have it again effectively demolished in the great hurricane of 1938 and subsequent storms. It languished on Lehigh Hill, now devoid of its distinctive blades, and can be seen as a nondescript background element, standing like a "bullet" on the far hill in many of the School's game-day photos in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Finally, in 1968, Doris Duke and her Newport Restoration Foundation purchased the mill and moved it to Prescott Farm, fully restoring it to operating condition as a museum, where it remains to this day.

Priory School football, mill’s restored blades visible

In 2006 we were merely following historical tradition when we decided to use wind power to supply electricity to the Abbey and School and established the first utility-scale wind turbine in the State of Rhode Island. Interestingly, when we erected the turbine we were contacted by the Newport Restoration Foundation positing a joint event for the public. The Prescott Farm Museum would open the Sherman Mill to a thorough examination and explanation of the mechanical operation of a 19th century wind grist mill. The party would then move to the Abbey for a tour and explanation of the modern adaptation of the very same principles. It was a lot of fun and very educational, bringing together our modern turbine with its earlier incarnation. Though the machines have to be a lot taller now because of all the turbulence from trees and buildings, and though they may not be quaint and picturesque, wind power is still a good resource for mechanical power in the 21st century.

Lehigh Hill, with dark base of Sherman mill barely visble on right horizon

View of Lehigh Hill, past and present


October foliage enflames today’s view of the football field;
Town of Portsmouth’s turbine visible on the horizon.