Roslyn Grist Mill restoration advances months after Nassau lawmakers battled over capital funds

Last October, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman filed a 2025 capital plan that included $2 million for the Roslyn Landmark Society’s restoration of the Roslyn Grist Mill.

But the funding was delayed in part because the capital plan was not voted on until April after a protracted battle among Blakeman, a Republican, and Democrats in the Nassau County Legislature.

Finally, last week, Blakeman presented a giant check for the first $1 million of the funding award.

The Landmark Society will receive the second $1 million after the first half of the award is used and the work is documented for the county, Howard Kroplick, co-president of the Roslyn Landmark Society, said in an interview. The money will help the Landmark Society complete the second and third phases of the project. 

“It will allow us to complete the exterior and interior restoration,” Kroplick said. “It’s going to look like the grist mill from 1750 by the end of next year.”

The mill, which sits on Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn Village, was built between 1715 and 1741. Known for its rare Dutch framing, the mill was an early economic engine for the village. It then functioned as a tea house from 1920 to 1974, and in 1976, was transferred to Nassau County. Ten years later, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The restoration effort began in 2018. The first phase was completed in July 2023 when the structure of the mill was lowered onto its new foundation.

The Landmark Society had originally expected the second phase — installing timber beams and columns, the roof, shingles, siding, woods and doors — to wrap up this spring. But Kroplick said the second phase is ongoing and should be complete by next spring.

“It took a while for the capital plan to get approved, but it really didn’t delay our construction,” Kroplick said. “We might’ve been a little more optimistic last year with how fast everything was going to happen.”

The third phase will see the reinstallation of the mill’s husk frame, the building of a new water wheel, the creation of an entrance compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the relocation of the stormwater basin. Kroplick expects that to be complete by spring 2027, and the fourth phase — creating the educational component for visitors — by the end of that year.

The Landmark Society envisions the mill as an education center for young people, with historic exhibits dedicated to Long Island and Roslyn's early history. 

Jordan Fensterman, co-vice president of the Landmark Society, said in an interview it took about four months to process the grant after the capital plan was approved.

The funding is the “key that’s going to allow us to finish the restoration,” Fensterman said. He said he is particularly excited for the roof, windows and doors to be installed and provide some cover for the beams, he said.

“I’ll take comfort in knowing those things are not going to be exposed to the weather, and further degrading, as they have been over the past four years,” Fensterman said.

Blakeman expressed support for the project in an emailed statement.

“It is important that we preserve our historical landmarks which frame the character of our communities and increase tourism and economic activity,” Blakeman said.

By Joshua Needelman

joshua.needelman@newsday.com

Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.