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Project
Overview | Facts at a Glance
| Restoration Team
Wind Engine
Overview | FAQ
 An impressive team of individuals and
businesses was assembled to tackle the wind engine
restoration project, both in Salinas, California, and in
Bridgewater, Virginia.
Joe Grainger, Harden Foundation
As the executive director of the Harden
Foundation, Joe Grainger is spearheading the wind engine
restoration project. His vision and dedication have seen
the project successfully through its arduous initial
stages, to the point where the wind engine is nearly
"home."
Derek Ogden, Millwright
Derek Ogden is a noted millwright and
restoration expert hired to perform an initial
inspection of the mill and, as primary project
consultant, supervise Shickel Corporation's
reconstruction of the wind engine. Originally from
Birmingham, England, Ogden has over 50 years experience
in the repair and reconstruction of windmills and
watermills. His work has taken him to France, Tasmania,
South Africa, and India. Since the mid-1970s, he has
resided in the Surry County, Virginia, applying his rare
talents on the mills of America, including the mill at
Stratford Hall Plantation, the home of Robert E. Lee.
Wayne Ragen, Belli Architectural Group
Wayne Ragen, an architect for
Salinas-based Belli Architectural Group for the last
seven years, has worked on projects ranging from
100-year-old restorations like the Challenge wind engine
to state-of-the-art modern buildings. His work on the
Challenge wind engine project began in the early
planning stages, meticulously documenting the buildings
and layout prior to restoration.
Ben Hassett, Millwright
Ben Hassett, a millwright from Richmond,
Virginia, traveled to Salinas to complete detailed
restoration of machinery once operated by the wind
engine. Hassett is founder of B.E. Hassett-Millwrights
in Richmond, and is a millwright with experience in both
windmill and watermill repair and restoration. His
experience ranges from maintenance and millstone
dressing, to reconstruction of period machinery and gear
trains, to major structural repairs. Hassett was
formerly an apprentice to Derek Ogden.
Ted Herman, Shickel Corporation
For Ted Herman, restoring a century-old
wind engine was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Herman
is a project engineer with expertise in custom
fabrication for Shickel Corporation in Bridgewater,
Virginia, charged with rebuilding the wind engine
itself. Named High Tech Company of the Year by the
Shenandoah Valley Technology Council, Shickel previously
helped restore Beeler’s Mill near Charles Town, West
Virginia, and White’s Mill, a national historic landmark
in Abingdon, Virginia.
Jay Ralston and Dilbeck & Sons Construction
Jay Ralston and Dilbeck & Sons
Construction of Salinas, California, were brought aboard
to retrofit the mill building and neighboring structures
in preparation for the return of the wind engine. A
carpenter for 30 years, Ralston is a Salinas native who
grew up near the Harden Estate. Dilbeck & Sons manage
jobs for clients throughout Northern and Central
California. For three generations, Aaron Dilbeck and his
family have committed to hands-on involvement in every
project, from renovating historic buildings, to
constructing schools and custom homes. Devotion to
excellence has been the driving force for over four
decades of success.
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