In August of 1997, Willett, Hofmann & Associates, Inc. was contacted by the City of Fulton to examine a 1984 set of windmill plans prepared by others and to provide assistance to the City in preparing grant application documents seeking funding for such a project.  Over the next six months project engineers from Willett, Hofmann & Associates, Inc. worked with Fulton’s Ad Hoc Windmill Committee in developing goals, requirements, budgets and design concepts for the project.  As a result of these meetings, the WHA engineers deducted that the ultimate goal of the Committee was to design and construct a tourism center for the area that would also be a civic symbol reflecting the Dutch heritage of the community. 

WHA engineers introduced the idea of disregarding the previously prepared plans due to impracticalities in the design, and suggested importing and erecting an authentic Dutch windmill from the Netherlands.  WHA organized and led a delegation of City of Fulton officials to visit and tour an authentic Dutch windmill in Holland, Michigan.  WHA also arranged meetings with City of Holland officials to discuss issues relating to the construction, operation and ownership of an authentic Dutch windmill.  In February of 1998 WHA hosted a delegation of consultants from the Netherlands as they visited the proposed windmill site in Fulton. 

In the proceeding months WHA worked with the City and with the Netherlands delegation to coordinate project requirements, scope and budget, and assisted the City in contract negotiations with the contractor from the Netherlands.  Several issues regarding work visas, insurance, bonding, importation issues and currency exchange issues were negotiated and resolved.  Numerous project cost estimates and budgets were prepared and the project scope was modified multiple times to keep within the available funding.

By the spring of 1999 preliminary project plans and schedules had been approved and Willett, Hofmann & Associates began preparation of construction documents for the windmill foundation.  Meanwhile, in the Netherlands the mill makers began fabrication of the windmill and the masons began collecting and cleaning authentic Dutch bricks to be installed at the windmill. On June 7, 1999, the Dutch craftsmen and their materials arrived on site and began erection of the windmill on the street adjacent to the project site.  Shortly thereafter, the construction of the octagon foundation began by local contractors.  The Dutch mill builders completed the erection and enclosure of the windmill in late summer of 1999 and returned home to complete work on the head and sails for the windmill.

In the Fall of 1999, WHA engineers prepared construction documents for the completion of the project by local contractors which included the construction of the “underground” tourism center and site improvements.  The mill builders returned to Fulton and on November 19, 1999, the wooden windmill octagon structure (fully sided and complete) was lifted from the street by a 430 ton crane and set onto the top of the foundation walls.  The head of the windmill, shipped from the Netherlands and arriving on-site the previous day, was lifted by the crane and set on the octagon structure followed by the sails.  Just before the approach of cold winter weather, the windmill was set firmly in place on its foundation with the head and sails steadfastly tied and grounded, and the Dutch craftsmen returned home to continue work on the internal operating mechanisms of the windmill.  With the completion goal of May 2000 fast approaching, construction began and continued through the winter by local contractors for the completion of the tourism center and the site work.

In the spring of 2000 the work by local contractors was near completion, and the Dutch mill builders and masons returned to Fulton.  The mill builders completed installation of internal operating mechanisms and the masons installed authentic Dutch brick around the base of the windmill and on the face of the field wall. By the end of April 2000 the project was completed.  On May 6, 2000, during Fulton’s 26th Annual Dutch Days Festival, the windmill was dedicated, officially named “De Immigrant”, and opened to the public at a Dutch heritage ceremony that surely reminded the Fulton Windmill of her Dutch home. 

Today the Windmill houses a tourism center for the area and provides a community landmark and civic symbol that has boosted community pride and drawn thousands of visitors - along with their tourism dollars - to this small town of less than 4,000 people.