Designed to symbolize the
Dutch Main trademark of the Cambern brothers of Spokane in their retail bakery and dairy product outlets, these windmills are some of the best examples of novelty commercial architecture in Spokane today. A total of 13 of these
Dutch Windmill Shops, complete with windmill, were designed for the brothers by Charles Wood, at one time employed with the well known architectural firm of Kirtland Cutter. This, one of only three remaining, was built in 1929 and has somehow managed to survive, while most of the others, one by one, have disappeared. Of the three that remain, this is the best preserved and the best known.
Given its local landmark status, the windmill was the subject of a newspaper article published by the Spokane Spokesman-Review as part of their "Landmarks" series way back in November of 2007. The article may be read in part below.
Still in commercial use, the building is home to
Lorien Herbs and Natural Foods.
Once there were nine,
now there are three windmills
There used to be nine of the eye-catching little windmill buildings around Spokane, but now there are just three.
The buildings, originally situated in residential areas, are prime examples of novelty commercial architecture from the 1920s. According to a registration form for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the best-preserved of the Cambern Dutch Shop Windmill buildings is the one at 1102 S. Perry St.
It is “one of the finest examples of novelty architecture in Spokane,” the National Register form reads.
The frame structure with projecting bay windows has an octagonal tower with four blades of a windmill prominent. It was designed as a retail shop and visual advertisement for the Cambern Brothers bakery and dairy line of “Dutch Main” products in the mid-1920s. Brothers Robert and Cecil Cambern, of Colbert, applied their skills (Robert having worked at a flour mill and Cecil at a bakery) to building up their new bakery business in 1924, which prospered to the point where they decided to market directly to consumers. Hence, the retail windmill buildings.
The South Perry building was one of 13 such structures designed by architect Charles Wood (who had been employed previously by noted architect Kirtland Cutter), of which nine were constructed – at 307 S. Cedar St., 831 W. Garland Ave., 1318 S. Grand Blvd., 1818 N. Hamilton St., 126 N. Howard St., 4112 N. Market St., 401 W. Sprague Ave., 1627 W. First Ave.
Under the Dutch Main label, the shops sold dairy products, baked goods and approximately 150 varieties of pastries. Unfortunately, the Cambern business failed during the Great Depression, and by 1943, most of the windmill structures had been sold, and nearly all were demolished.
Today, the Cambern Dutch Shop Windmill on South Perry, which received National Register of Historic Places designation in the 1980s, is home to a natural foods store in the eclectic business district.
From the Spokane Spokesman-Review