The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) will conduct a major restoration project at the Old Mill, funded by the Nantucket Community Preservation Committee (CPC), beginning in early August 2024. The project will include critical work such as re-shingling the entire structure, pest control and repairs, and overall structural repairs and reinforcement. The project will also include visitor experience enhancements with an unintrusive interpretive shed on the property for ADA accessibility enhancements.
“We greatly appreciate the continued support and generosity of the CPC and their recognition of the importance of this project. This work will address critical repairs to the mill and enhance the visitor experience for years to come at one of the island’s most cherished landmarks,” says Niles Parker, NHA Gosnell Executive Director. “Although it’s difficult for this work to begin during the summer season, it is vital to conduct aspects of this project during mild weather conditions of the summer and fall to protect the structure while restoration is underway.”
Built in 1746, the Old Mill is believed to be the oldest operating windmill in the United States. It is a “smock mill” with a fixed body containing the machinery and a cap that turns to face the vanes and sails into the wind. The Old Mill saw many years of use and is the only surviving mill of the five that once stood overlooking Nantucket town. When the mill appeared on the auction block in 1897, the NHA secured the mill with a successful bid of $885. After minor repairs over the years—and major overhauls in 1930, 1936, and 1983—the mill can grind corn just as it has for more than two centuries. The Old Mill was designated an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1992.
Nantucket’s Old Mill is currently open to visitors Wednesday through Saturday, from 11 am to 4pm, and the Nantucket Historical Association is offering free admission for all. It will close for the season on Saturday, August 3.
In 2022, the NHA committed $2 million and 24 months to a bout of property rehabilitation that included the replacement of the slate roof at the Whaling Museum’s Candle Factory, extensive masonry restoration at the Research Library, and upgrades to the fire suppression system at the Hadwen House, to name just a few improvements. The NHA is now continuing this push for preservation work, the rehabilitation of the Old Mill, as well as preservation of the north wall of the Candle Factory planned for this fall, and the installation of new storm windows at Greater Light to come.
To conduct these projects with preservation in mind, the NHA uses extensive records of their historic properties for reference. Each planned project begins in the archives with a detailed look at the building’s construction and maintenance history. The NHA then works with preservation professionals to ensure that any work accomplishes contemporary goals like accessibility, safety, and climate preparedness without disturbing the historic fabric of the building.
