{"nrhp_refnum":"83001675","name":"Williamsville Water Mill Complex","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"56 and 60 Spring St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Williamsville","county":"Erie County","state":"NY","lat":42.96354302000003,"lon":-78.73211006599996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-09-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A water-powered mill complex at 56 and 60 Spring Street in Williamsville, Erie County, New York, on the west bank of Ellicott Creek below Glen Falls. The 2½-story timber-frame mill was built in 1827 by Oziel Smith, and the nominated property includes the Red Mill House (c. 1840) and the millrace right-of-way.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the mill is a rare, intact example of a Federal-era hewn timber-frame water mill on the premier mill site in Erie County. It was one of the earliest commercial producers of natural (hydraulic) cement in the United States. It is the sole surviving structure of an early industrial district at Williamsville and has been in continuous water-powered operation since 1827. It is also tied to local figures such as Jonas Williams and Oziel Smith.","narrative":"Beside Ellicott Creek and Glen Falls in Williamsville, this red-painted timber mill has ground grain by water power since 1827. Oziel Smith, a joiner and carpenter who also built Buffalo's first courthouse, built it on a site used for sawmilling since 1801. Its hewn, heavily braced frame is exposed inside and includes a rare ridgetree. The plan resembles those in Oliver Evans's milling guide. The building first served as a water-lime works, among the earliest makers of natural cement in the United States, and became the Eclipse Mills flour and feed operation in the 1880s. A Leffel turbine and French burr millstones were added in 1907-08, and a 1947 restoration followed. A cider mill, a museum and a gift shop now share the building. The nominated property also includes the c. 1840 Red Mill House and the millrace. It is the only surviving structure of Williamsville's early industrial district.","period_of_significance":"1827 - 1902","architect_builder":"Oziel Smith","architectural_style":"Federal-era vernacular timber-frame mill (Federal style cornice and gable returns)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied; the mill still operates with water power, producing flour and cider, and its basement houses a museum. The Red Mill House is a residence. Condition is listed as excellent and altered (1947 restoration).","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:43.219375-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/83001675.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001675/b926a36854-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001675/b926a36854-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"TonyTheTiger","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20090412_Williamsville_Water_Mill_Complex.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">TonyTheTiger</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20090412_Williamsville_Water_Mill_Complex.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75317743","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williamsville_Water_Mill_Complex","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8021326"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/erie-county/williamsville-water-mill-complex-83001675/"}