Williamsville Water Mill Complex
Encyclopedia
Williamsville Water Mill Complex is a historic mill
located at Williamsville
in Erie County, New York
. It was built originally as a sawmill
in 1801, substantially enlarged in 1827, and operated in that capacity until 1903. Also on the site was the Water-Lime Works and Williamsville Cement Company mill, which was later converted to be a gristmill
. After 1908, the mills were used for apple cider
production. The complex is a rare surviving example of a water-powered seat of local industry in Western New York
.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983.
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
located at Williamsville
Williamsville, New York
Williamsville is a village in Erie County, New York in the United States. The population was 5,573 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Jonas Williams, an early settler...
in Erie County, New York
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
. It was built originally as a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
in 1801, substantially enlarged in 1827, and operated in that capacity until 1903. Also on the site was the Water-Lime Works and Williamsville Cement Company mill, which was later converted to be a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
. After 1908, the mills were used for apple cider
Apple cider
Apple cider is the name used in the United States and parts of Canada for an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples...
production. The complex is a rare surviving example of a water-powered seat of local industry in Western New York
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983.