Community Coordination on Display as Water Mill Windmill Is Restored

The Corwith Windmill, situated on the village green in Water Mill, is arguably one of the most iconic and recognizable landmarks in the Town of Southampton and, along with the water mill that provided the inspiration for the small hamlet’s name, it is a cherished monument to the area’s roots and history.

The area has, of course, undergone massive changes since the windmill was originally built in its original location of what is now the North Haven area of Sag Harbor (at that time, it was known as Hog Neck) in 1799 and first put to use in 1800. What has not changed is the community’s desire to preserve the windmill, and a willingness to work together to ensure it remains a visible and viable testament to the hamlet’s past.

For the past several weeks, evidence of that community dedication and teamwork has been on display for anyone passing through Water Mill on Montauk Highway. A crew of local carpenters and craftsmen have been hard at work, in the cold of winter, on a restoration project, expected to cost roughly $170,000, to ensure the mill’s survival and operation into the future.

Nearly 40 years after the last major renovation project, in 1987, the Water Mill Village Improvement Association has helped spearhead the restoration effort, assembling a talented crew to oversee the significant maintenance project, which began in December of last year and is expected to be completed sometime in the late spring.

The windmill arms have been removed and scaffolding erected around the windmill, allowing crews to rip off the old shingling. Those old shingles did their job, and the integrity of the structure underneath was not compromised. Some of the old shingles — particularly the areas of the shingles that were not exposed to the elements — are being repurposed and used to reshingle the roof. The sails that attach to the windmill arms when it is in operation are also set to receive some TLC, and windows and doors will be rebuilt as part of the project.

In a letter sent out to community members seeking fundraising support for the restoration, the improvement society stated that, “Everything needs to be reassembled before we can return this beautiful ‘old friend’ to watch the modern world go by for the next several years.”

If that ‘old friend’ could talk, it would most likely have a lot to say and share, based on its deep and fascinating history.

A small book on the windmill’s history, written by Wm. C. Thompson, published by the Water Mill Village Improvement Association in 1990, and reprinted in 2021, details much of that history. While records are not entirely clear, it is assumed that the windmill was built by James Mitchell, a ship owner who was likely looking to add another business venture when he asked the Southampton Town Trustees for the right to build the mill in 1799.

In 1812, the mill was passed into the hands of Joshua Howell, who then sold the mill to James Corwith the following year for $750, and he moved it at that time to its current location. Corwith and his family then ran the mill for the next 75 years. While the mill was considered to be on the small side, it served a vital service to the farming community of Water Mill.

Corn for grist or feed for cattle and horses was likely its primary use, according to the publication, but it likely was also to mill flour and meal for home use. By the late 1800s, the mill had transitioned from being an important and frequently used feature in the community and became more of an ornamental landmark.

In 1934, the mill, after changing hands several times, was conveyed to its current owners, the Water Mill Improvement Association. Four years later, the mill suffered significant damage during the Hurricane of 1938, but community members stepped up to restore it, including Southampton carpenter John Bennet.

Over the next few decades, only minor repairs were made, and the windmill was primarily used as a tourist attraction — and a place where children could meet Santa during the holidays. But by the mid 1980s, it was in serious decline, and the community kicked off what led to the 1987 restoration effort, carried out by James Kricker, a millwright from upstate New York, and several local volunteers who assisted him. Improvement Association members and residents like Tom White, Charlton Halsey, Bud Burnett, John Raynor, Thomas E. Halsey, J. Emerson Thors, John C. Morrison and others were involved in the effort at that time.

That same spirit of cooperation is happening currently, with carpenter Ricky Muller overseeing the current restoration effort, and working alongside his son, Leland Muller, with help from another local craftsman and contractor, Andrew Hurley, and his crew. Muller is a Water Mill resident — and a descendant of the Corwith family who originally owned the mill — who also oversaw the restoration of the hamlet’s water mill, located across Montauk Highway just a short distance north of the windmill, on Old Mill Road. Hurley, meanwhile, operates a shop within walking distance of the windmill.

Muller said it’s been gratifying to do the work and to work alongside his son, and he added that the community has been very supportive of the effort.

“It used to be all volunteers that would do this work,” he said of past restoration efforts. “We’re kind of beyond all that right now — they raised the money and people are being paid, but it still has the feeling of a community project. That’s just how we do it in Water Mill.

“We’re doing our best to do work that is going to last as long as possible,” he continued. “That’s how we approach everything, which is why I’m so happy to have Andrew Hurley on the job. He’s a good, old school carpenter, and I find there’s fewer and fewer of them these days.”

Muller said he’s also happy to have craftsman Tom Matthews on the project. He’s been building the new windows in his workshop, and those will be an important feature of the upgrades.

Standing on the green around the windmill last week, Hurley spoke about his involvement in the project and what it means to him. He said that the work has been done in a traditional, old school fashion. That means no nail guns, but Hurley scoffed at the idea of using those for any project, expressing a disdain for that modern bit of machinery.

“I felt honored to do it, and all my guys did, too,” he said. “It’s a real tight-knit community here.”

While those men have been doing the actual restoration work, the individuals involved with the improvement association have been the catalyst in getting the project off the ground, spearheading the fundraising effort as well.

Tom White, also a descendant of the Corwith family, and who was a big part of the 1987 restoration effort, has been a key organizer once again, while David Hawke and other members of the association have put a lot of time and energy into the task as well.

Hawke, who has lived in Water Mill since the 1950s, said he recalled how the 1987 renovation “united the community.” He also pointed out the significance of the fact that the windmill has remained operable all these years. Even though it is rarely put to use, it can still technically function and grind grain, making it one of the only working mills on Long Island, and possibly even across the East Coast.

“We put the sails on the arms and crank it a few times a year,” he said, while adding that it isn’t easy to find “young, vivacious” people to lend the hands it takes to make it work.

While work will continue at the mill, the Water Mill Improvement Association is still seeking funding to ensure it can fully cover the cost of the entire project. Those interested in donating to that effort can reach out to the association. All donations are tax deductible because the association is a registered nonprofit.