Plimoth Grist Mill facts for kids
The Plimoth Grist Mill is a special working mill in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It's a rebuilt version of the very first mill that stood in the same spot many years ago. A grist mill is a place where grains like corn and wheat are ground into flour or meal.
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History of the Mill
The First Mill
The original mill was built in 1636 by a man named John Jenney. He was a Pilgrim who came to Plymouth in 1623 on a ship called the Little James. John Jenney owned and ran the mill until he passed away in 1644.
After John's death, his wife, Sarah, took over and kept the mill running. Later, in 1683, their son Samuel sold the mill. Over the years, the mill had a few different owners, including the Church family. Sadly, in the mid-1840s, a big fire destroyed the entire building.
Rebuilding the Mill
For a while, other types of mills were built on the property. These new mills made different things, not just food. Then, in the middle of the 1900s, the area around the mill was redeveloped. As part of this project, the Jenney Grist Mill was rebuilt in 1969. It was put right back on the same spot where the original mill stood. Some parts of the new mill, like the big millstones that grind the grain, were even saved from an old mill in Pennsylvania.
The Mill Today
A New Beginning
In 1999, a photographer named Leo Martin found the old mill site. Instead of using it for his studio, he decided to rent it. He wanted to give tours and help keep its history alive as a nonprofit organization. He even ran a small creamery downstairs and sold souvenirs to help raise money for the mill. Later, his nonprofit group, Jenney Grist Mill, took over managing the property.
Plimoth Grist Mill Operations
In 2012, Plimoth Plantation (a famous living history museum) bought the mill. Starting in 2013, it was renamed the Plimoth Grist Mill. Today, it's a fully working grist mill and a popular place for tourists to visit.
The mill is open to the public for most of the year. Workers grind different grains like corn, wheat, rye, and barley. However, only corn is ground using the main millstones. Visitors can watch the milling process, and the workers explain how everything works. The main products made here are cornmeal and grits. Much of what they make is sold to local businesses. This helps support the idea of using fresh, local foods.
The Alewife Migration
The mill sits next to Town Brook. This brook is home to an amazing annual event: the spring festival where thousands of alewives (a type of fish) swim upstream to lay their eggs. Since the early 2000s, people have worked hard to help these fish. Their numbers had dropped a lot since the 1620s. Thanks to these efforts, the number of alewives has grown a lot. For example, there were about 7,000 alewives in 2003, but nearly 200,000 in 2016!
