Windmill Blade Topples On Denny's In Arcadia

ARCADIA, CA – A blade from a large windmill atop a Denny's restaurant in Arcadia fell off its axis Friday and damaged the roof of the restaurant, but nobody was injured.

The blade fell around 7:30 a.m. and hit the roof of the building at 7 E. Huntington Drive, according to the Arcadia Fire Department. The blade broke a water line in the restaurant and caused some minor flooding.

The restaurant was closed so crews could fix the damage, which was considered minor to moderate.

The building was constructed in 1967 as part of Van de Kamp's Holland Dutch Bakery franchise, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy -- a nonprofit organization that advocates for historic preservation. The restaurant chain's trademark Dutch windmill appeared on its bakeries and coffee shops across the region, but the one at the Denny's in Arcadia is the last one to remain intact.

After Denny's purchased the property, company officials proposed demolishing the windmill in 1999, but changed their minds after a public outcry, according to L.A. Conservancy.

In 2016, the windmill started spinning for the first time since 1989.

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--City News Service/Shutterstock image