Brayton Grist Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Brayton Grist Mill
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mashamoquet Brook State Park, Pomfret, Connecticut |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1890 |
| NRHP reference No. | 86001257 |
| Added to NRHP | June 13, 1986 |
The Brayton Grist Mill is a historic building in Pomfret, Connecticut. It sits along Mashamoquet Brook. You can find it at the entrance to Mashamoquet Brook State Park. This mill was built around 1890. It is one of the best-preserved old grist mills from the 1800s in Connecticut. A grist mill is a place where grain like corn or wheat is ground into flour.
The mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Today, it has been restored and is cared for by the Pomfret Historical Society. It is now called the Marcy Blacksmith Museum. You can visit it by making an appointment.
What is the Brayton Grist Mill?
The Brayton Grist Mill is in the middle of Pomfret. It is on the west side of the road that leads into Mashamoquet Brook State Park. This is just south of United States Route 44. The building is made of wood, using a style called "post-and-beam." It has four stories and a pointed roof. Its outside walls are covered with clapboards.
Mashamoquet Brook flows next to the road. It goes downhill towards the south. The brook passes by the west side of the mill building. The mill likely got its water from a special channel or an underground path.
How the Mill Worked
Inside the mill, there is old equipment. In the basement, you can see a turbine from the 1800s. A turbine is like a water wheel that spins. This turbine is set in a wooden frame. It has strong cast iron rods to hold it in place.
On the second floor, there is equipment that slows down the turbine's power. This makes it the right speed for the milling machines. The third floor holds the actual milling machines. These machines were patented in 1888 and 1890. This means they were new designs from that time.
Today, this level also has a collection of blacksmithing tools. Blacksmithing is the art of shaping metal using heat and tools.
History of the Mill
Mashamoquet Brook was a busy place for mills a long time ago. There were mills here as early as 1816. The Brayton Grist Mill was built by William Brayton around 1890. He used materials from older mills that were already on the site.
This mill is the last one left from several that used to be along Mashamoquet Brook. William Brayton passed away in 1928. In 1930, the state bought the property. They bought it to make the state park bigger.
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