Sudbury Grist Mill

The Wayside Inn Grist Mill is the first working mill to be built as a museum. Commissioned by Henry Ford and designed by renowned hydraulic engineer J.B. Campbell of Philadelphia, work on the Mill began in 1924 by local workmen preparing the waterway from Grist Mill Pond.
Its an amazing place to take photos and its worth taking the time to explore around. The Martha-​Mary Chapel and the schoolhouse are almost in front of the Mill on the other side of the street.
A lot of history worthy to know.

Picturesque place… went here for Bullfinches Annual Duck Race 2014.
Very beautiful and across the road from an equally beautiful church. Behind the mill is a wooden bridge that crosses the stream and it was falling down/​cracking from all the weight. Be careful when crossing!
Great place for picture taking… in fact, a couple was there for their engagement photos!
Limited parking right on the road

Please don’t go here. Or picnic here. Or linger here in general. I like that it’s quiet and peaceful when I do these things.
Kthxbai.

So I didn’t actually get out of the car, but we parked in front so I could see it and it was actually really interesting and VERY picturesque. I had no idea that such history exists in metrowest and I think this is a perfect place for families and lovers to explore.
The grist mill is really interesting with its history and I guess you can buy the flour that they grind at the wayside Inn.

Just four stars, Maureen? Are you kidding?
Four stars for a grist mill that has graced the pages of more New England calendar than I care to remember? Four stars for a grist mill that serves as the back drop for many a wedding party? Four Stars for a grist mill that still, to this day, functions? For measly stars for something simply called a grist mill?
Please. Ye Olde Grist Mill is a five star attraction. And I’m not just saying that because I am (obviously) biased and spent many a summer day exploring the forbidden parts of the ground, other times flagrantly ignored the ‘no dogs allowed’ sign and (just once) had to be escorted from the ground with my dear, dear Duffy, or showed every out of town guest our quaint and charming attraction just because it happens to be quaint, charming… and historical?
No, the Grist Mill deserves five stars because it is singular in its ye olde New England charm and beauty. For pete’s sake, it is a freakin’ GRIST MILL! How common are those?
Come in the spring while the flowers bloom. Come in the winter and admire the icicles hanging off the side of the pond. Enjoy a picnic on the grounds in the summer.
Sure, there’s no over the top gift shop (go to Marlborough for that) but it is worth a stop. Bring your camera.

Open April through November. Part of the array of buildings Henry Ford had built in this little community.
From their site:
«The eighteen foot diameter waterwheel powers not only the two run of millstones, but also a complex elevator system similar to that put into a flour mill in 1787 by Delaware miller Oliver Evans. This system represented the first time in history that an industrial process was completely automated. What may be the oldest mill museum in the United States, the Wayside Grist Mills is open from April through November, with historic milling demonstrations taking place on weekends. The flour produced is sold to the public and is used in our bake shop.»
A man from the historical society in Sudbury told me to speak with the miller who could tell me something about the Ergot theory re Salem delusions. Apparently, he was of the belief that it was a possibility. The mill was closed when I got there, though. Sudbury is where Samuel Parris moved to from Salem. His grandson and daughter-​in-​law are buried in the old cemetery along with some of my old kin.