UPDATE!
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 Councils (REDC) awarded the project a total of $1 million dollars to aid in the restoration.
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 the 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.
A new historic marker was also placed recently at the site. Stay tuned!
Follow the above link to a recent CBSNewYork television report.
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.
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.
