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Site of the Great Western Windmill

Introduction

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Along the south side of Main Road in Southold is actually the second site of the Great Western Windmill. The mill, which no longer stands was originally built for use along the Hudson River in New Jersey. When the building stood in the way of a railroad construction project it was sold, disassembled and moved to Southold.

Images

  • The Great Western Mill as it looked on its original site - taken from a copy of original print

Backstory and Context

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Listen to a narration of this entry's description by Amy Folk.

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The Great Western Windmill was built by Isaac Edge (1777-1851), who immigrated from England to New Jersey in 1801. Familiar with English style mills, Edge had all the components of a windmill shipped to him from Derbyshire, England in 1815. He erected the mill in Paulus Hoeck, New Jersey alongside the Hudson River. The mill was taken down in 1839 to make way for a railroad station. It was then transported to Southold where it was rebuilt as a replacement for the Dominy windmill. It was last operated by Pierre Rene Villefeu (?-1915) in Southold until it was destroyed by fire on June 25th, 1870. 

Sources

Bailey, Paul. "Historic Long Island." Long Islander, September 7, 1961: 2.

—. "Historic Long Island." Suffolk County News, August 10, 1961: 9.

Long Island Traveler - Mattituck Watchman. "Mill Erected in 1795 Burns at Southold." September 19, 1946: 15.

Markers, Committee for the Guide to Historic. Guide to Historic Markers. Southold, New York: Southold Historical Society, 1960.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Town of Southold Historians Files

Additional Information