Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman visited the Roslyn Grist Mill on Monday, Sept. 8, to deliver the first $1 million of a $2 million county capital plan award to complete restoration of the centuries-old site into a public museum.
The check presentation marked a milestone in the long-running effort to rehabilitate the grist mill, which has been closed to the public since 1974, when a tea house operating inside the historic building shut its doors.
The funding, approved in April as part of Blakeman’s 2025 capital plan, will cover roof, siding, floor, window and door installations, followed by structural and accessibility upgrades needed to reopen the mill.
“Those people who know me know that I am a history buff,” Blakeman said at the event. “Doing this is a labor of love for me and I’m just honored to be here.”
The Roslyn Grist Mill, owned by Nassau County and managed by the nonprofit Roslyn Landmark Society, is considered one of the region’s most significant historic landmarks.
Built in the late 1690s as a Dutch-framed watermill at the head of Hempstead Harbor, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is believed to be the oldest surviving Dutch commercial structure in the United States.
The new funding will allow the project to finish within two years, capping decades of preservation work. Planned upgrades include the reinstallation of the mill’s husk frame, relocation of the storm water basin, construction of a new water wheel, and creation of an ADA-accessible entrance.
Howard Kroplick, co-president of the Roslyn Landmark Society, accepted the $1 million check from Blakeman.
“Thank you, County Executive Blakeman. The community expresses our great appreciation to you and the Nassau Legislature for the strong support of the historic restoration of the Roslyn Grist Mill,” Kroplick said. “It was a promise made, and a promise kept.”
The grist mill’s history is entwined with the growth of Roslyn and Nassau County. John Robinson, the original grantee, established the mill in 1698 after receiving permission from the Town of Hempstead. Over the centuries, it passed through several owners, including Hendrick Onderdonk, who hosted President George Washington at the site during his 1790 tour of Long Island, and Benjamin D. Hicks, a leading advocate for Nassau County’s creation, who owned the property from 1887 to 1892.
Jordan Fensterman, co-vice president of the Roslyn Landmark Society, called the county’s support a game-changer for the project.
“Today’s presentation of the initial $1 million of funding displays concretely County Executive Blakeman’s commitment to the Roslyn community and to communities throughout Nassau County,” Fensterman said. “Schoolchildren throughout Nassau and beyond will be able to take school trips to the Grist Mill upon completion of restoration and this money will allow the project to head towards completion within the next one to two years.”
Blakeman said the restoration is part of his broader push to invest in Nassau County’s cultural and historic resources. “This isn’t just about preserving a building,” he said. “It’s about preserving our history and making sure future generations can experience it firsthand.”
When completed, the Roslyn Grist Mill will open to the public as an educational museum, the first time the building has been accessible in more than 50 years.
