Old Grist Mill home's owners hope it stays a piece of Smithtown history

At the head of the Nissequogue River in Head of the River, a home nestled within rolling green pastures that was once a grist mill dating back to the 1700s still stands — and the family that has stood as its steward for four generations is seeking to pass it on to preserve it.

As she sat with other family members in the brown, wood shingle-covered home on Mill Dam Road, Molly Micciche, 81, one of the four children of Herbert G. Luther, who converted the centuries-old mill into a home in the 1950s, said she could tell the exact times of day when low and high tide for the Nissequogue River usually took place.

"When you live here, you learn to live with the rhythm of the river," Micciche told Newsday.

Early ownership of the Old Grist Mill can be traced back to the early 1700s, according to "Colonel Rockwell’s Scrap-book," published by the Smithtown Historical Society in the 1960s and detailing the history of certain structures and buildings in Smithtown. Excerpts of the book were shared with Newsday by Richard Smith, the mayor of Nissequogue and Smithtown’s town historian.

The mill was first owned by William Lawrence and his wife, Deborah Lawrence. After he died, she sold the land to Isiah Harrison in 1702 for 400 pounds. The mill changed hands through the centuries and was owned longest by members of the Phillips family — from the 1720s to the early 1800s. Operation of the grist mill was discontinued in 1909, and the old wooden machinery remained intact until T.J. White purchased the mill in 1927 and eventually remodeled it into a summer guesthouse. In 1958, Luther acquired the property and winterized it to use as a year-round residence.

As Joanne D'Agostino, 85, another of Luther’s daughters, toured the wooden attic of the home that was once her father's study — his office space with a large wooden desk and a small library of books on engineering and sciences behind it — she remembered her father, who was a chemical engineer, as a hardworking man with a brilliant mind who often made repairs around the house in his spare time.

"For him, it was a labor of love," said D’Agostino, who, along with her siblings, grew up and in some cases were married on the evergreen property. Oftentimes, Luther's repair work around the home included help from his family. Currently, John Micciche, 28, Luther’s great-grandson, lives in the home with his fiancee.

For four generations spanning 68 years, Luther’s descendants have been stewards of the property, taking care of it through highs and lows. A recent low came during the Aug. 19, 2024, storm that dropped 10 inches of rain along the North Shore and flooded several areas. The storm brought in sod and mud from the outside into the home, which the family spent months cleaning up.

"When the water came through the windows, everything was knocked over," D’Agostino said as she pointed to a corner in the kitchen. "We had a big refrigerator here that was knocked down."

D’Agostino and Molly Micciche sat at the wooden table where they grew up having family dinners in the home, which also was the place for Christmas parties, acted-out murder mysteries and weddings. They said most of their family members are older now and have moved away — some out of state — so they are looking to pass the property on to others who will preserve it.

"We don’t have the capacity or the strength to maintain it now," Molly Micciche said.

D’Agostino said they would prefer for the state to have the property, adding they have been in talks with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation since 2023. However, talks have taken a long time, according to the family, which has made them consider the possibility of putting the property up for private sale.

State parks office officials, in a statement, told Newsday they "needed more time to look into this."

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the environmental advocacy group Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said in an interview that the property was a "gem" because of both its history and its location on the Nissequogue River. Due to it being "a significant tributary" of Long Island Sound, Esposito said her group has listed the property as a key parcel to preserve to protect Sound water quality.

"The property is not only ecologically valuable, it’s also historically valuable. That’s hard to get in one piece of property," Esposito said.

Ultimately, no matter who takes over the property, the family wants to make sure it ends up in the hands of a party that will take care of it and preserve its beauty for generations to come.

"We had such a rich life here through four generations of living here," D'Agostino said, adding, "My concern is who is going to be able to take care of it. That, to me, is the biggest thing."