The Roslyn Grist Mill is a rare surviving Dutch-framed colonial watermill built for industrial rather than agricultural use. In 1698, John Robeson (later Robinson) was granted permission by the Town of Hempstead (now the Town of North Hempstead) to construct a grist mill at the head of Hempstead Harbor in Roslyn, beginning the history of growth and expansion of the village’s economy. The mill is unique in its utilization of Old World Dutch construction style. This style was once found in the Netherlands and Zealand, but no longer exists today. 

Over the centuries, the mill changed ownership, and in 1790, the current owner Hendrik Onderdonk welcomed President George Washington. Placed on the National Historic Register in 1986, the mill has been undergoing preservation since 2018 by the Roslyn Landmark Society and was completed in 2025. Carol Clarke, archivist of the Bryant Library, using historical documents, will tell the story of this unique grist mill. 

Part of our Sunday Seminars on Long Island and New York History