The first phase of the long anticipated restoration of Roslyn's venerable 18th century Dutch Grist Mill has recently been completed. A team of architects from the firm of John G. Waite Associates of Albany have produced a detailed feasibility study for the restoration of the mill.

The Roslyn Grist Mill is owned by the County of Nassau and is administered by the county's department of recreation, parks and museums. Several years ago it was hoped that a county bond act would provide the funds for the mill's restoration, but the county's financial crisis canceled the availability of those funds and the project was postponed.

The Roslyn Preservation Corporation, sensing a desire on the part of the Suozzi administration to form public/private partnerships explored the possibility of working with the county to move the Roslyn Grist Mill project forward. With the support of County Executive Tom Suozzi and the cooperation of Nassau County Parks, Recreation and Museums Commissioner Doreen Banks, it was agreed that the firm of John G. Waite Associates from Albany should be hired to prepare a feasibility study for the grist mill restoration project.

The Gerry Charitable Trust has generously underwritten the cost of this new Waite study. The Gerry Trust recognized the Grist Mill Restoration project was one of the late Dr. Roger Gerry's top restoration priorities and was pleased to be able to support the project.

Funding for the project, all of which is from the private sector, is being channeled through the Roslyn Preservation Corporation. The county and the Gerry Trust decided the Preservation Corporation should coordinate the restoration project.

Commissioner Banks stated, "We are delighted to move forward on this project, with the Roslyn Preservation Corporation playing an active role in the county's restoration of the Roslyn Grist Mill."

The firm of John G. Waite Associates prepared an historic structure report for the Roslyn Grist Mill 10 years ago. The feasibility study updates the historic structure report. Structural engineers and archaeologists will be part of the Waite team preparing this report. Beyond simply addressing the methods of restoring the mill, the report will investigate potential sources for funding the actual restoration work and will develop a project budget for professional service fees and construction cost projections.

The County of Nassau has granted to the Roslyn Preservation Corporation a use and occupation permit for the Roslyn Grist Mill in order to have the feasibility study prepared.

The findings of this new report show that the mill has seriously deteriorated in the 10-year period since the historic structure report was written. Although some shoring up of the structure was done in recent years and water from the sluice way has been diverted, the condition of the structural framing of the mill continues to worsen. The new report calls for immediate stabilization work to be done before actual restoration begins.

The Roslyn Preservation Corporation is in the process of preparing a report for Commissioner Banks which details efforts to raise the necessary funds to implement the much needed stabilization work. To learn more about the mill or how one can make a financial contribution to this very important preservation project, please contact Jefferson Mansell, executive director of the Roslyn Preservation Corporation at 625-4363. Contributions to the Roslyn Preservation Corporation are fully tax deductible.