Two Hundred and Fifty Plus, 7

Structural typologies have been around far longer than modern structural engineering. The last pre-1776 building I discussed was a grist mill on Long Island, and, astonishingly, today’s building, a grist mill on Long Island, looks very similar. It’s really not surprising: if I may be excused some personally laughter, one might say that form follows function. In the case of an eighteenth-century grist mill: you need running water, preferably with a drop in elevation, to power the water wheel; a heavy-timber structure strong enough to take the weight of the grain and stone grinding wheels and to take the stresses of machine movement; and at least two stories to allow for vertical movement of grain and milled grain within the building. That’s the Connetquot Mill in Oakdale (formerly known as the Oakdale Grist Mill), built around 1750, so it’s very slightly younger than the Roslyn mill. It was active until 1878; the area around it was then used first as a game preserve for wealthy game…