Roslyn Grist Mill

The Roslyn Grist Mill is a rare surviving Dutch-framed colonial watermill purposely built for industrial use. It operated as a working water mill for over 150 years. 

In 1698, John Robeson (later Robinson) was granted permission by the Town of Hempstead to establish a grist mill at the Head of Hempstead Harbor on Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn. Shortly afterwards, Robinson built and began operating his grist mill. The approval Robeson received was obtained under the condition that the mill would be constructed and in operation within two years.

By 1709, Robinson sold the mill in what would be the first of several transfers the Roslyn Grist Mill would experience as ownership changed hands over the next three centuries. On April 24, 1790, the owner of the grist mill Hendrick Onderdonk was visited by President George Washington in his Roslyn residence adjoining the grist mill. Washington referred to the grist mill in his diary.

In 1916, the Hicks family sold the mill to a board of five trustees including Harold Godwin, the grandson of William Cullen Bryant. Their goal was to restore the building to become a museum of industrial arts. From 1916 to 1917, the historic timber beams were reinforced and a concrete base was installed to support the foundation. A concrete floor on the first floor was placed and concrete put on the exterior designed to appear like the original plank boards. The museum opened on June 30, 1917.

From 1920 to 1974, the grist mill building served as a tea house and was a tourist attraction to the village. The building was placed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places in 1986. From 2015 to 2020, $3.1 million was given from New York State, Nassau County, trusts foundations and members of the government grants, trust awards and members of the Roslyn Landmark Society.

The restoration began in November 2018 by the Roslyn Landmark Society. On January 23, 2020, the structure was raised eight feet above ground level in order to construct a future new foundation. The new foundation was completed in November 2021. On May 28, 2022, the structure was lowered to street level for the first time in over 100 years. In April 2023, the restored historic timber frame was being re-installed. On February 10, 2025, the final restored and new rafters were installed. The topping off was celebrated with the timber frame tradition of placing an evergreen branch on the highest peak of the building.

Source:

“Roslyn Grist Mill.” Roslyn Landmark Society, www.roslynlandmarks.org/profiles/roslyn-grist-mill. Accessed 18 May 2026

Roosevelt Raceway

Car racer Eddie Rickenbacker began assembling a group of people to plan a new race to allow the American drivers and cars the chance to battle with the best Europe had to offer. Joining Rickenbacker in the venture were Boston Redskins owner George Preston Marshall, 1908 Vanderbilt Cup winner George Robertson and George Washington Vanderbilt III, nephew of 'Willie K'.

In February 1936 the group announced the creation of a new circuit to host the race, located at Roosevelt Field. To design the course, they enlisted Mark Linenthal, an architect who was involved in the construction of most of the nation's steeply banked board tracks. It was to be a lavish facility. A huge double-deck grandstand overlooked the main straight, while there was also a clubhouse, well-equipped indoor garages and ample parking.

The track design was less successful. Aside from the main long straight, it was a rather tortuous affair, with numerous switchbacks and slow-speed corners in a flat layout which was designed in such a way that all parts would be visible for the grandstands, which would cater for up to 50,000 spectators. There was nothing wrong with the prize money, however, with a total purse of $60,000 for the top finishers. Twelve of the 45 drivers that started the race were Europeans. 

Rickenbacker upped the ante further for 1937, offering an increased prize purse of $70,000 dollars, with awards for lap leaders and the leading American car. It was clear to all that changes to the track would need to be made to pep up the show. In order to up the average speed, the twistier sections in the center were eliminated and banking added at the final turn. In early 1938 the company formed by Rickenbakker and his associates collapsed into bankruptcy.

In May, Los Angeles amusement park owner Frank C. Hulbert announced that he had secured a ten-year lease on the track and would be promoting a 300-mile stock car race there on Labor Day. Despite this, nothing came of the plans and it wasn't until July 1938 that the track would re-open as a venue for midget car racing. 

In early 1940, the site was sold and redeveloped as a harness racing track. The gates opened on Sept. 2, 1940, to a reported crowd of 5,000 eager fans who wagered some $40,000. By 1956 the original Vanderbilt grandstands were burdened by excessive additions and dangerous decay. Within the next season the new clubhouse-grandstand "plant" replaced the old Vanderbilt track without interruption of the racing schedule. The new building was designed by Arthur Froehlich. The architectural plans cost $400,000 and the building was proposed at $12 million. In the end the new "Dream Track" (as it was nicknamed) cost $20 million.

The track closed its doors in 1988. A shopping centre now resides at the location.

Sources:

Monaco, Pete. “Remembering Roosevelt Raceway.” The Spectrum, Desert Valley Times, 28 Feb. 2017, www.thespectrum.com/story/sports/mesquite/2017/02/28/remembering-roosevelt-raceway/98511574/

“Roosevelt Raceway.” RacingCircuits.Info, www.racingcircuits.info/north-america/usa/roosevelt-raceway.html. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026

“Roosevelt Raceway.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Mar. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosevelt_Raceway

Tuttle-Fordham Mill - Speonk

 In 1985, the Tuttle-Fordham Mill, located in Speonk was designated as the first Town of Southampton historic Landmark. The original wooden sawmill no longer present, which milled lumber of many of our community’s early homes, was constructed by members of the Jagger family in the early 1800s. The sawmill was powered by a pond created by damming the upper reach of the Speonk River.

The Fordham Mill was built by Daniel Wells Tuttle in 1859. A dam on the Speonk River powered the sawmill, which the Tuttle family ran until it was purchased by E.O. Fordham in 1911 and converted to electric power. Mr. Fordham made carriages, wagon wheels and coffins. The Tuttles leased the Mill to Everett O. Fordham in 1895; Mr. Fordham bought the Mill in 1911 and transformed it to electric power. Fordham’s long-time employee, Wilbur Benjamin, bought the Mill in 1946 and continued operations until he sold the property in 1959. Sawmill operations were continued onsite by the Moriches Woodworking Co., Inc., owned by John Salomon until about 1975. 

Unoccupied for some time, the Mill descended into a state of significant disrepair and its foundation became seriously compromised. In March 2017, the John and Elaine Kanas Family Foundation purchased the property that includes the 1859 Tuttle-Fordham Mill, assuming full responsibility for its preservation and appropriate reuse. The Foundation undertook the significant repairs needed, coordinating this work with the Town’s Landmarks & Historic Districts Board as required for a landmarked property.

Thanks to John and Elaine Kanas and their Foundation, the Tuttle-Fordham Mill has been restored.

Sources:

Gorman, Alexa. “Fordham Mill Added to Endangered Places Registry.” 27east, 14 Feb. 2015, www.27east.com/residence/real-estate-news/article_17826f66-f127-5ca7-b002-c66f19bb85d2.html

“Tuttle-Fordham Mill History.” Greater Westhampton Historical Museum, whbhistorical.org/tuttle-fordham-mill-history/. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026

Baseball Player Carlton Edwards

Carlton Edwards was born on October 23, 1929, in Stony Brook. His mother Marjorie Edwards, his grandmother and his brother moved to Chicken Hill area of Setauket soon after. He was a gifted all-around athlete, best known for his pitching. He pitched for the all-Black Setauket Giants and later for the newly integrated Setauket Athletic Club, carving out a reputation as a dependable and accomplished pitcher. In 1951, he received an offer from the Brooklyn Dodgers, a moment that hinted at how far his baseball career might go. That same year, however, his life took a different turn when he was drafted into the United States Army.

That commitment to service extended well beyond his military years in the Korean War. Edwards was deeply involved with the American Legion Irving Hart Post 1766, which was founded after World War II to serve Black and Hispanic servicemen. In order to satisfy the 15-member requirement to keep the legion in operation, Edwards would often pay for other members

Edwards had a 40-year career with the Three Village Central School District. He was very active in the Three Village Historical Society. On Sundays, he greeted visitors at the historical society, digging up lesser known details about the Chicken Hill area.

In 2023, Edwards’ lifetime of athletic and community contributions was formally recognized with his induction into the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame. Carlton Edwards died on January 17, 2026 at the age of 96.

Sources:

Artusa, Sabrina. “Obituary: In Remembrance of Carlton ‘Hub’ Edwards.” TBR Newsmedia, 21 Jan. 2026, tbrnewsmedia.com/obituary-in-remembrance-of-carlton-hub-edwards

Vaccaro, Chris. “Suffolk Hall of Famer Carlton ‘Hub’ Edwards, Baseball Pioneer, Dies at 96.” Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame, 23 Jan. 2026, www.suffolksportshof.com/suffolk-hall-of-famer-carlton-hub-edwards-baseball-pioneer-dies-at-96

Squire Farm - Plainview

The Squire farm was originally built by the Whitson family. A windmill for pumping water was erected in 1907 by Irving Squire. This was not the first wind machine on the property. According to an 1859 map, the Whitson family operated a grist mill there in the 1850s. It would be used as a post office and a polling place in the late 19^th Century.

The farm produced carrots, cabbages, onions, beets, potatoes, spinach, corn, cucumber and dill. The cucumber and dill were grown specifically for Karp & Fueschel pickleworks. The entire farm covered 330 acres extending along both sides of Old Country Road.

The farmhouse had seven bedrooms, two baths, a poolroom, a parlor, kitchen, and a dining room. During World War I, a teacher at Bushwick High School arranged with the farm for boys from the city would come to the farm and learn how to work it. They called them “farm camp boys.” The boys cooked and served their own meals in a separate building which they called B. H. S. Camp Squire. The boys would plow, seed the ground, and thin and weed the row for harvesting. The goods from the farm were sent overseas to the boys serving.

No trace is left of the windmill or dwelling.

 

Source:

Gibbs, Iris & Alonzo. “B. H. S. Camp Squire.” Long Island Forum. March, 1973

Harbor Hill Estate & Gate House - Roslyn

Among the largest estates on Long Island was the Renaissance –style mansion known as Harbor Hill designed in 1899 by Stanford White and built in 1900 to 1902 for Clarence H. Mackay and his wife Katherine. The 576-acre estate was located atop the highest point in the area overlooking the village of Roslyn and Hempstead Harbor.

This country home estate was divided into formal gardens and terraces surrounding the main house and a 70-acre farm. With Clarence Mackay’s death in 1938, the estate was left to his son John Mackay III. Due to vandalism during the World War II, the mansion was demolished in 1947. The property was sold in the late 1950s and became the Country Estates housing development.

The Mackay Estate Gate Lodge was built in 1900-1902 as a component of the estate. The still-standing gate lodge was designed as a miniature version of the main house. Both the main house and the gate lodge were designed in French Baroque style with stone walls and steep roof slopes. 

The Mackay Estate Gate Lodge is one of only three buildings still standing from the Mackay Harbor Hill Estate (Dairyman’s Cottage and the John Mackay III Stonehouse). On April 12, 1991, the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge was listed on the New York State and National Register of Historic Places.

From approximately 1970 to 2008, the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge was used as the Country Estates Swim Club. The Mackay Estate Gate Lodge and surrounding 3.2-acre property was sold to G.A.D. Development in 2009. With the assistance of then town historian Howard Kroplick, G.A.D Development considered transferring the gate lodge property either to the Town of North Hempstead or the Village of East Hills. On September 3, 2017, the Village of East Hills decided to acquire the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge. 

When a subdivision was approved by Nassau County, the deed to the gate lodge was transferred to the Village of East Hills in December 2021. With the guidance of the Roslyn Landmark Society, the restoration of the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge began on January 25, 2022.

Sources: 

“Harbor Hill Estate.” Roslyn Landmark Society, 1 Jan. 1967, www.roslynlandmarks.org/profiles/harbor-hill-estate. 

 “Harbor Hill Gate Lodge.” Roslyn Landmark Society, 1 Jan. 1969, www.roslynlandmarks.org/profiles/harbor-hill-gate-house. 

Carrington House - Fire island

The Carrington House is located on a tract of land between Fire island Pines and Cherry Grove. It is one of the earliest homes built on Fire Island, originally constructed in 1912 by Frederick Marquat, and purchased in 1927 by theater director Frank Carrington, co-founder of the Paper Mill playhouse. The house was built in 1909 by Frederick Marquat, a US Army Corporal that served with Carrington’s father, Major Frank Carrington.

The two families used this retreat until 1927, at which point Frank bought the property and turned the space into a nexus for the cultural development of mid-century arts. At the time, the cottage was a rectangular, three bay bungalow. Carrington made two wood-frame additions around 1940. Frank Carrington expanded the property with the “Lone Hill Cottage” built in 1948. Carrington was active in the growing arts community of Cherry Grove. He rented the property to his friends in the community, including Truman Capote. In 1957, Capote developed a novella there that would become Breakfast at Tiffany's.

At one point Frank Carrington was offered $1.5M for the property by a real estate developer but was more interested in preserving the site, so sold it to the National Park Service in 1969 for approximately $300,000 and continued living there until 1975. National Park Service Ranger Bob Freda lived there for the next twenty years. The Carrington House is probably the oldest surviving building in Cherry Grove.

 In 2016, the property was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

 

Sources:

“Carrington House.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 June 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_House

 

Hildebrandt, Bill. “The History of Fire Island’s Carrington House.” Fire Island Pines Historical Society, Fire Island Pines Historical Society, 11 Jan. 2026, www.pineshistory.org/the-archives/the-history-of-fire-islands-carrington-house