On Friday, April 25th, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman presented the Roslyn Landmark Society with the second and final $1 million installment of Nassau County's $2 million capital commitment to the restoration of the Roslyn Grist Mill, bringing the project within reach of its long-anticipated opening as a public museum. The ceremony at 1347 Old Northern Boulevard was joined by Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips, Nassau County Legislator Samantha Goetz, and Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena. The timing coincides with the near-completion of Phase 2, which has visibly transformed the Roslyn Grist Mill's exterior: the timber frame has been rehabilitated, the south wall reconstructed, new windows and siding are set to be installed shortly, and a cedar shingle roof returned to the roofline for the first time in decades. "We have been working on this for a couple of years, and this promise you made is a promise you kept," said Co-President Howard Kroplick in his words thanking Mr. Blakeman.
With this funding secured, the Roslyn Landmark Society and its construction team move towards Phase 3, which will help establish the Roslyn Grist Mill as a functioning historic structure and public destination. Planned work includes the restoration and construction of the Roslyn Grist Mill's water wheel, relocation of the mill's gearing mechanisms back into the building, relocation of the stormwater basin, and creation of an ADA-accessible public entrance. Built between 1715 and 1741, the mill is one of the few surviving examples of early Dutch colonial commercial timber framing in the United States, served as the economic center of the community for over 150 years, and was visited by George Washington during his 1790 tour of Long Island. The Roslyn Grist Mill is expected to open to the public next year, the first time the building has welcomed visitors in more than fifty years.
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