Restoration Update: On July 25, 2023, the Roslyn Landmark Society commemorated the completion of Phase 1 of the Roslyn Grist Mill Restoration Project. Phase 1 consisted of constructing a new foundation, which included integrating restored portions of the original foundation with new timber. On July 25th, all cribbing and steel support beams were removed, and the Mill was lowered onto its new foundation, supported by its restored historic timber frame. According to Jennifer Lister, Roslyn Landmark Society’s executive director, “Phase two is the roof, the rafters, the roof’s structure, windows, doors, the interior and exteriors, and getting the building somewhat together”.
Roslyn Grist Mill, July 25, 2023
Led by the Roslyn Landmark Society, the restoration of the mill has been a community effort-as evidenced by the people in attendance at the completion of Phase 1. Project supporters, many of whom spoke, included a number of community members and Roslyn Landmark Society’s Howard Kroplick (Co-President), John Santos (Co-President) Jennifer Lister (Executive Director), John Flynn (Chairman, Roslyn Grist Mill Committee); Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (Nassau County Legislator); Town of North Hempstead Supervisor, Jennifer DeSena, Councilman Peter J. Zuckerman (2nd District); Village of Roslyn, Mayor John Durkin; Chris Cole Company Inc., Construction Manager, Chris Cole; Restoration & Traditional Building, Timber Specialist, Jan Lewandoski; Preservation Long Island’s Alexandra Wolfe (Executive Director), Tara Cubie (Preservation Director); and Robert B. MacKay, PhD. of the Gerry Charitable Trust. (Image: Alexandra Wolfe, Preservation Long Island Executive Director)
Restoration of the mill began in November 2018 and will be a multi-phased project. Restoration could be completed as early as 2024. Click here to read more about this important preservation milestone.
Restoration Update: In January 2020 teams of preservation specialists will raise the historic Roslyn Grist Mill eight feet off its’ current 114-year old foundation so a new foundation can be poured. While the mill is being lifted, workers will quickly add sections of timber cribbing to account for the additional height.
The new, expanded headroom will allow workers to excavate the existing foundation and begin construction on a new water-tight foundation. During this time, timber frame specialists using centuries-old wood restoration methods will remove and restore deteriorated columns and support beams.
Upon completion of the foundation and timber restoration later this year, the mill will be lowered four feet to street level in order to provide safe public access to the mill for future use as an education center. It will be the first time the building will be at street level in over 100 years! Click HERE to read more about this exciting phase of the mill’s restoration.
Restoration of the mill began in November 2018 and will be a multi-phased project over the next four years. The initial phase of the restoration has been completed, including safely staging of the worksite, stabilizing the structure, and installing a temporary protective roof. The building will be raised to street level, the first time since 1890, and the historic timber frames will be restored. With the approval of pending grant requests, the structure will be positioned on a new foundation and the timber frames reinstalled.
Follow the above link to a recent CBS New York television report.
Advocacy Update: In 2019 a new historic marker was placed at the site.
Project Funding and Support: In partnership with the Village of Roslyn and Nassau County, the Roslyn Landmark Society launched a fundraising campaign in 2016 to restore the historic grist mill. To date, the Roslyn Landmark Society has raised a total of $3 million dollars for restoration efforts from various foundations, government grants, and individual contributions. The New York State Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) awarded the project a total of $1 million dollars to aid in the restoration.
Roslyn Grist Mill (c. 1720)
Village of Roslyn, Nassau County
A rare example of an early-18th-century industrial building, featuring distinctive Dutch-style framing methods. Owned by Nassau County, the Roslyn Grist Mill has stood vacant and deteriorating since the 1970s. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, community members and local preservation groups have struggled to restore the structure for over a decade. Numerous false starts and a lack of clear planning for the building’s reuse delayed restoration efforts. Located in the center of the village at the head of the harbor, the Roslyn Grist Mill is ready to become the keystone for a downtown and waterfront revitalization initiative. Community support is necessary to strengthen the partnership between the County, Town of North Hempstead, Village of Roslyn, and Roslyn Landmark Society to establish a viable new use for the structure. Roslyn Grist Mill, pictured here in 2015.
Click HERE to explore a remarkable archive at The Library of Congress containing photos and documentation of the Roslyn Grist Mill compiled in 1933 by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), the United States Federal Government’s oldest preservation program.
