On May 14, staff and Board members of the Roslyn Landmark Society visited the Cooper Gristmill in Chester, New Jersey. In preparation for Phase 3 of the Roslyn Grist Mill's restoration, the Roslyn Landmark Society team was joined by consultant Amy Boyce of Husk Preservation, INC. and Roslyn Grist Mill project architects from John G. Waite Associates to view a working colonial-era gristmill in action.
Similar in design and construction to the Roslyn Grist Mill, the Cooper Gristmill is located within the 2,000 acre Black River County Park and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It features a working waterwheel powered by a Black River mill pond and four sets of mill stones that originally required two waterwheels to operate.
Karl, the historic site's Master Miller, led the group on an incredibly informative tour that encompassed all four stories of the building. He detailed how the structure's system of water-powered elevators, gears, belts, and Archimedes screws allowed for the grinding and transportation of grain throughout the building. The group was even treated to demonstrations of how various portions of the machinery worked and accomplished each stage of the milling process.
The Roslyn Landmark Society extends its gratitude to the Cooper Gristmill's staff for hosting the team and providing such a fantastic inside look into early American water-powered mill technology
If you'd like to learn more about the Cooper Gristmill, click here.
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