Windmills of Long Island

When Rex Wailes presented his paper on the Windmills of Long Island at the Science Museum on 25th April 1935, he listed 11 surviving windmills, all smock mills in the east of the Island. The 1983 book, Windmills of Long Island by Robert J Hefner and the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities, listed the same 11 mills, though not all in the same locations! Like the similar smock mills on Cape Cod, Long Island windmills have always been regarded as portable items - they are not so much attached to their foundations, as simply rested upon piles of stones.

(In fact, the 1983 book had an appendix, which detailed the discovery, too late for inclusion in the body of the book, of a 12th surviving windmill - still of wood, but of the sunken post mill variety. This saw mill, on Gardiner's Island had been extended upon in such a way that its true identity remained hidden for years).

Long Island also has a number of mock mills - buildings which simply look like windmills, but which never had any milling connections.

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Mill Hill, Southampton

Also known as the Shinnecock windmill, this mill on the campus of Southampton College is house converted.

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Good Ground Windmill, Southampton

Moved a number of times, this mill now forms part of a cottage. 40.870525,-72.392306

Windmill at Water Mill

The hamlet of Water Mill is proud to have both a working windmill and a working watermill. 40.909424,-72.356682

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Beebe Windmill, Bridgehampton

Restored windmill, in good condition. Retains its iron gearing, which makes it unique in the USA. 40.934286,-72.300650

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Wainscott Mill, East Hampton

Moved several times, now preserved by The Georgica Association. 40.933524,-72.240901

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Hook Mill, East Hampton

Hook windmill, undergoing roof replacement, 28th April 2005

Hook windmill unusual hand shaft used to turn the mill into the wind

Hook windmill unusual power take off to drive the stone governors

Located on a small mound at the East end of the village, next to the Eastern graveyard. Well maintained over the years, and retaining a lot of unusual machinery, including the interior hand turned mechanism to turn the mill into the wind; a power take off to drive the stone governors from the base of the upright shaft, and a stone crane for when the millstones needed to be dressed. In April 2005, this mill was receiving a new roof, and new roofing shingles.

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Pantigo Mill, East Hampton

Pantigo Mill, 28th April 2005

The Pantigo mill has been moved around the village several times. It is now in the gardens of Home Sweet Home - a house celebrated for the author of the song of that name who lived there. 40.956677,-72.190754

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Gardiner Mill, East Hampton

Gardiner Mill, 28th April 2005

View under Gardiner Mill, showing how "temporary" the attachment to the location is

40.955014,-72.192160

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Hayground Mill, East Hampton

Hayground Mill, 28th April 2005

Still retaining its internal machinery, this windmill was unusual for the Island, in that it has a fantail to turn the sails into the wind. Moved from Hayground to open space in East Hampton in the 1950's, this mill is now unfortunately surrounded by other newer buildings and trees. 40.955358,-72.165799

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Gardiners Island

Painted white, which is unusual in this area where plain wooden shingles are the order of the day.

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Gardiners Island saw mill

The Gardiners Island sunken post saw mill remained unidentified for many years, since it is rectangular, and the remains are built into other buildings.

Shelter Island

This mill has stood for many years without its sails.

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Mock mills

National Golf Links, Southampton

This appears not to be a real windmill - rather a water tower that has been disguised as a windmill! 40.911927,-72.451047

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Sag Harbor

This scaled replica of Beebe windmill houses the local tourist office.

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Unidentified

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Watermill at Water Mill

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Last updated 27/07/2020