Stony Brook Grist Mill
Why it's listed
Beside Stony Brook Creek on Harbor Road, this 2 1/2-story shingled grist mill sits within an 11.95-acre property that includes its pond, dam, sluice and weir. The eastern half dates from about 1750 and keeps its hewn oak post-and-beam frame, which is open and undivided on each floor. A lean-to added around 1885 housed wine-making equipment, and about 1925 it was enlarged into a matching western half for grain storage. A mid-nineteenth-century dormer marks the installation of a water-powered grain elevator. The Smith family owned the mill through four generations, from 1692 to 1826. It remained a working commercial mill until 1939. Ward Melville acquired it in 1940 for preservation, and architect Richard Haviland Smythe directed a restoration in 1947. Its framing, machinery and associated water features are the reasons the property was listed. The mill is currently not in use.
Significance in brief: The mill retains an original eighteenth-century hewn oak frame and surviving milling machinery from the eighteenth through early twentieth centuries. Its additions record changes in local milling, including a saw mill, wine-making and expanded grain production. It operated commercially until 1939 and was later preserved by Ward Melville.
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 90001140, listed August 3, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Harbor Rd. W of Main St., Stony Brook |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | August 3, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001140 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1750-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Richard Haviland Smythe (architect of the 1947 restoration) |
| Architectural style | No style (vernacular mill) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function listed as vacant/not in use; the upper floors of the west addition have been renovated as a small dwelling, and the exposed water wheel shows some deterioration. |
| Acreage | 12 |
| Coordinates | 40.91302, -73.14546 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 90001140.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q255278
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.