Windmill at Water Mill
Why it's listed
This octagonal smock windmill, 2½ stories and 29½ feet high, sits on a half-acre triangular village park at Route 27 and Halsey Lane in Water Mill. It was built in 1800 at North Haven and moved to Water Mill in 1813. Originally a grist mill, it now serves as a decorative park feature. Its conical cap has two dormers and is turned into the wind by an external tailpole connected to a wagon wheel. The nomination identifies it as the only surviving Long Island windmill with this tailpole arrangement. Much of the internal machinery remains, including two pairs of French burr millstones, a brake wheel, a great spur wheel and iron regulators. Dry rot has deteriorated some structural elements. The Historic American Engineering Record measured and recorded the mill in 1975. It was nominated as part of a group of Long Island wind and tide mills, with themes of architecture, industry and engineering.
Significance in brief: The nomination states it is the only surviving Long Island windmill whose cap is rotated by an external tailpole. It was also measured and recorded by the Historic American Engineering Record in 1975. Its internal grinding machinery survives largely intact.
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 78001919, listed December 27, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NY 27 and Halsey Lane, Southampton |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | December 27, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001919 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Octagonal smock mill with conical cap pierced by two dormers |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as deteriorated; dry rot has damaged structural elements. Originally a grist windmill, now a decorative element in a village park. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.90969, -72.35369 (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 78001919.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8024305
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.