Up-down sawmill, grist mill and dam on Latimer’s Brook
Grist mills and sawmills are among the first buildings that people would erect upon the settlement of a town. The Monday morning East Lyme Public Library Archive group has been working on mapping out and documenting the many mills that were in the area now called East Lyme. Including the grist mill on East Pattagansett Road at Bush Pond, erected in the 1690’s, and the mill on Hope Street (which many of us remember), there are at least fifteen mills that have been located in town, with the possibility of more.
Old town records, deeds, newspaper articles and photographs have been searched to find these mills. Many are gone with no trace of their existence. The remains of a few can be found where the dams used to power the waterwheels are still in place. Some are remembered by place names such as Mack’s Mill Cemetery and Oil Mill Road.
If you are interested in finding out about this project or where these mills were located, you are welcome to stop by the East Lyme Public Library Archive room on Mondays between 10:00 a.m. and noon. If you have information on a mill, or have the remains of one on your property, we would love to hear from you!
Liz Kuchta, East Lyme Library Archives supervisor
