Busti Mill
Also known as: The Old Mill
Why it's listed
Set on a knoll about a mile from the hamlet of Busti in Chautauqua County, this grist mill is the only industrial building left in the community. It stands one and a half stories high at the front and two and a half at the rear, with clapboard siding, a gable roof and a stone foundation. Features of the structure point to a construction date between 1820 and 1850, though no precise date is known. The mill ran under a succession of owners until 1948, then passed to the town and, in 1973, to the Busti Historical Society. Much of its machinery survives, including a wooden mainshaft, a large wooden gear ring and a twenty-foot bolting reel. Few small mills of this kind keep so much equipment, which is why the property is recognized as a reminder of the farming economy of western New York. It is being rehabilitated as a community center and museum space.
Significance in brief: The mill recalls the agrarian way of life that is fading from the rural landscape. Its exterior retains integrity, and much of its original milling machinery survives, which is extremely unusual for a building of this type. It is one of the few remaining small-scale grist mills of western New York's flour-milling era.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 76001208, listed July 23, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Lawson Rd., Busti |
|---|---|
| County | Chautauqua County |
| Listed | July 23, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001208 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Abandoned for almost twenty years before the historical society acquired it in 1971; being rehabilitated as a community center and storage for local artifacts, with repairs under way. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.03388, -79.28092 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 76001208.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5002185
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.