Nassau County Moves Roslyn Grist Mill Restoration Forward

By Thomas Nothel

The Roslyn Grist Mill has been a historic community resource and landmark since its construction in 1698. But in recent decades it has been shuttered and “under restoration.”

Last week, Nassau Executive Bruce Blakeman allocated a $1 million payment to get the Roslyn Grist Mill restoration finished. The Grist Mill is expected to re-open to the public next year - in 2027 - marking the first time the historic building will welcome visitors in more than 50 years.

Joining Blakeman at the presentation were Nassau Comptroller Elaine Phillips, Nassau Legislator Samantha Goetz, and North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena.

“County Executive Blakeman has been a tremendous supporter of this project from day one. I want to thank the hardworking crew, and this is going to get us to a point where we’re able to have it looking great in the next year,” stated Jordan Fensterman, VP of the Roslyn Landmark Society. “I want to thank the staff of the Roslyn Landmark Society, my fellow trustees, and County Executive Blakeman for making this happen.”

Roslyn was initially settled by two English colonists - John Carman and Robert Fordham - in the year 1643. They came ashore into a wilderness, and explored inland to found and settle the village of Hempstead, naming Roslyn and its harbor as “Hempstead Harbor.” The name was only changed to Roslyn in 1844.

The area was then being contested between the Dutch colony of New Netherlands and the New England colony of Connecticut. Seven years later, in 1650, the Treaty of Hartford between the Dutch and English colonies left Roslyn clearly on the Dutch side of the border – which was drawn through Oyster Bay and south to the Atlantic.

The Grist Mill has existed on the present site since at least 1698.

“This is especially important this year, the 250th anniversary of our great country,” stated Blakeman, noting that George Washington wrote about the Grist Mill in his official diary during his 1790 presidential tour of Long Island.

“Just a few doors down, George Washington, our first President, had breakfast here,” added Blakeman. “This grist mill means a lot to the history and the fabric of our great county. This one million dollars isn’t just going to restore a piece of our history – it will help our tourism and our economy.”

“A lot of people come to Roslyn and can’t believe not only how beautiful it is, but how many historic artifacts are here,” noted Blakeman. “This is an important historic place, and we are blessed to be able to help.”

The Roslyn Grist Mill is owned by Nassau County and managed by the Roslyn Landmark Society.  It is one of the few surviving examples of early Dutch colonial commercial timber framing in the United States.

The restoration has been made possible through a sustained partnership among Nassau County, New York State, the Village of Roslyn, and the Roslyn Landmark Society, supported by grants from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, the Gerry Charitable Trust, the Save America’s Treasures grant program secured through the office of Congressman Tom Suozzi, and contributions from Roslyn Landmark Society members and donors.