In Roslyn, a new mill foundation will shore up piece of history

Local preservationists seeking to restore the centuries-old Roslyn Grist Mill will use a recent $500,000 federal grant for the restoration and reinstallation of a vital part of the building’s foundation.

The grant will help complete the refurbishment of the 1700s Dutch timber frame, which will be reinstalled into the structure.

The building, which crews raised in 2020 to begin the restoration process, will be lowered to street level to allow eventual public access, said Howard Kroplick, co-president of the Roslyn Landmark Society.

“The objective this spring is to have all the wooden timber back in place and we can move out the steel beams, and then put the building back on its new foundation, which will be at street level,” Kroplick said.

The Dutch-framed water mill, built between 1715 and 1741, operated for more than 150 years before serving as a teahouse from 1920 to 1974. It is one of the last water mills of its kind in the country.

The restoration project began in 2018 after more than $3 million in public and private funds were raised for repairs following a 42-year delay due to lack of funding.

The building was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 — a requirement for the latest grant.

Before leaving Congress, former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) helped to get the grant funding. He noted in a Newsday interview that he had been working on the project since he was Nassau County executive in the early 2000s.

“I think this is an important project for not only Roslyn, but the surrounding communities as well, and I was happy I was able to bring this money in as one of my last acts in Congress,” he said. “Part of the attraction of Long Island is its history and this is an important part of history.”

Nancy Rankin, a principal at John G. Waite Associates, the architectural firm overseeing the restoration, said this phase is one of the most vital in the restoration process. The timber frames and some of the floorboards, with 300-year-old nails holding them intact, are from the original structure.

“Those are the only components of the structure that are original and that remain, so it is kind of the most important part of having tangible remains of the building,” Rankin said.

The architect said the next phase likely will be to work on the roof framing, while eventually getting to the flooring inside the building. 

Kroplick said he hopes to have the restoration process finalized by the end of 2025 but noted that depends on funding.

Rankin said structures like the grist mill are essential to understanding how communities evolve.

“I think it’s really important for us to have these historic and cultural resources as a reference to understand our history and to constantly be rethinking of what that means relative to our current experience and how we change in our local communities or as a nation,” she added.