Saddle Rock Grist Mill
Why it's listed
Saddle Rock Grist Mill is a 2½-story, gambrel-roofed wood-frame mill on Little Neck Bay in Saddle Rock, Nassau County. A shed is attached to its south side. It stands in a one-acre county park within a suburban residential community, beside a millpond fed by a stream and supplemented by tidal water held back by a dam. A nearby sloop landing once gave the mill water access to the New York market. The mill is described as the only surviving operating tidal grist mill on Long Island, a rare technology that has remained at its original location since the eighteenth century. Its machinery includes an undershot water wheel on an oak drive shaft, wooden and iron gearing, and French burr millstones. Machinery was extensively replaced around 1850. In the 1950s the shingle sheathing, roof, first floor and substructure were replaced, and the mill dam and wheel were restored. The building now serves as a museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the only extant operating tidal grist mill on Long Island. It is an important example of a rare technology and has survived at its original location since the eighteenth century. The form lists its themes as architecture, industry and engineering.
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 78001866, listed December 27, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Grist Mill Lane and Little Neck Bay, North Hempstead |
|---|---|
| County | Nassau County |
| Listed | December 27, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001866 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a museum (original use grist mill). Condition is rated fair, with no known threats. Mill dam and undershot wheel were restored in the 1950s. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.79772, -73.75102 (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 78001866.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7397725
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.