Romeo & Juliet Windmill (1897), Spring Green, Wisconsin

The innovative windmill that Wright called “Romeo and Juliet” was conceived in 1896 and constructed in
1897. The windmill is a sixty-foot tower combining octagonal-shaped and diamond-shaped forms that
support each other. These interlocking forms supposedly suggest Shakespeare’s lovers in an embrace.
The windmill was commissioned by Wright’s aunts despite objections from the uncles, who claimed the
structure would not withstand the first storm.

It has, however, remained standing in its original form for more than one hundred years. The design
incorporates not only a windmill but also a watertower and supplied water to the Hillside Home School
constructed in 1902 for Wright’s aunts. The original wood shingles were replaced with horizontal boards
and battens in 1939.

Romeo & Juliet Windmill 2 Romeo & Juliet Windmill 1

Location: Taliesin, Route 23, Spring Green, WI 53588

Date: 1897

Accessibility: Public