The Stony Brook Grist Mill is a Registered Historic Place property in Stony Brook, Suffolk County, New York.Suffolk County Listings on the National Register of Historic Places Its construction in 1699 created the Mill Pond astride the Brookhaven-Smithtown boundary. () The mill structure itself dates back to at least circa 1751.
History The Stony Brook Grist Mill, Long Island's most fully operational mill, features on both the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places.
In the late 1800s, a vineyard flourished on the island within the Mill Pond's confines. Catawba grapes, harvested from this vineyard, underwent pressing and fermentation within the Stony Brook Grist Mill. The resulting wine was then bottled in Brooklyn and distributed through a nearby tavern.
Even into the 1950s, local farmers continued to rely on the mill's services, bringing their wheat and corn for grinding. Miller Schaefer specialized in milling natural wheat, producing "health food" that gained popularity nationwide, with shipments reaching customers in 42 states.The Stony Brook Grist Mill c. 1751 (Ward Melville Heritage Organization)
Flooding from an August 2024 storm collapsed the roadway adjacent to the mill, emptying the mill pond into the harbor. The mill was not damaged but required cleanup after being buried in sand.
Conservatory
Today the Ward Melville Heritage Organization owns and operates the mill as a working mill museum.Stony Brook Grist Mill (Ward Melville Heritage Organization)
References
External links
Ward Melville Heritage Organization: Stony Brook Grist Mill Stony Brook Village website New York Times, December 13, 1992, " Stony Brook Gristmill Is Grinding Again"