Water Mill Day Celebration to Commemorate Hamlet’s 375th Anniversary

The Water Mill Museum will hold a Water Mill Day Celebration on Friday, June 14 from 4–8 p.m. on the Village Green. Should it rain, the event will take place on Sunday. The event is to commemorate the museum’s 50 years of operation and the 375th anniversary of Water Mill’s settlement. Admission to the event and tours of the historic buildings will be offered free of charge, and the museum’s knowledgeable volunteers will be available to answer questions and provide historical background of the sites.

Visitors will be able to take tours of the 1898 Community House, the 1729 Water Mill Cemetery, the 1800 Corwith Windmill, the Veterans Memorial and the 1644 Water-Powered Grist Mill. The water-powered grist mill is one of the oldest commercial buildings on Long Island and was in operation for more than two centuries to grind rye and wheat. It served as a textile refinement site in its later years. The mill fell into disuse after a steam-powered flour mill was built in Sag Harbor. Now the namesake and landmark of the hamlet, the mill has been maintained by local volunteers since the early 20th century following a brief period of industrial-era neglect.

Even those who have visited and toured the museum and its collection of buildings and archives before will find something to enjoy at this event. The 18-year restoration of the water mill by volunteers and community members has been topped off with a new copper roof chosen for its similarity to the now-defunct roof of the 19th century. There will also be colonial games for children on the green near Corwith Windmill, which will include potato sack races and hoop rolling, and the museum’s archival and seasonal exhibits will be on view.

For more on the Water Mill Museum, visit watermillmuseum.org.