MILL NEWS & NOTESFROM THE

Water Mill Museum41 Old Mill Road, Water Mill, NY 11976

(Mail to: PO Box 63)

Tel: 631-726-4625Vol. 43 Fall 2019

President’s Message

What an exciting year for Water Mill Museum! We completed our18-year walls and roof restoration project by installing a metal roofsimilar to one it had in the 1800s. And we celebrated our 50th year asa museum as well as our 375th year as the hamlet of Water Mill!

In addition to our numerous art shows, receptions, quilt show,weekly grinding demonstrations and Sip and Paint nights, we held2 very special events. Together with Water Mill Community Cluband Water Mill Village Improvement Association we hosted WaterMill Day—a free event featuring tours of our historic CommunityHouse, Cemetery, War Memorial, Corwith Windmill and WaterMill. Hotdogs were served as children played Colonial games onthe Village Green. It was a great community event. In Septemberwe held a High Tea honoring one of our building’s former uses asa Tea Room. It was a very elegant and delicious affair!

As with any building which is hundreds of years old, there isnever an end to the list of things we need to do. This summer themain exhibit room was uncomfortably warm and the second floorwas so hot that visitors often declined to go up there. As we “putthe mill to bed” for the winter we embark on a project of climatecontrol. We hope we can continue to count on you, our friends andneighbors, to help us with the financial burden so we can preserveour community’s historic treasure for generations to come. Thankyou in advance for whatever you can contribute.

Sincerely, Jeanne WhitePresident

Thank You To Our Volunteers

In this season of thanksgiving, we acknowledge, andgive thanks to our members, supporters and volunteers whohelp keep the museum going. For their time, labor anddedication we thank our board members who work tirelesslyto insure the success of Water Mill Museum.

Thank you to Marilyn Holstein of Discovery Maps,Merry and Greg of Long Island East Printing, BobEisenberg of East End Blueprints, Marsha Kranes forediting, Faye and John Andreasen for planting our beautifuloutdoor planters, Lou Puglisi for donating his time andtalent for Sip and Paint nights, Christina Stowe and LanceCory for chairing the Members’ Art Show, and to Ed Hurleywho monitors our security system.

A special THANK YOU to Bill Petty who is retiringafter many years as our chairman of buildings and groundsand to Betty Kistler who is retiring as our webmaster.

We are online atwww.watermillmuseum.org

or find us on Facebook

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The women of Water Mill didn’t save the world, but they didsave our historic water mill and with it, our hamlet’s uniqueness.

Their crusade began In 1915, when a group of women—somelocals and some members of the “summer colony”—gathered at ameeting held by Ada Morse, a wealthy New Yorker who lived inthe stately mansion overlooking Mecox Bay, opposite the VillageGreen. The purpose of the get-together was to create a ladiesauxiliary of a men’s organization that was intent on preserving theold Corwith Windmill on the Green.

The newly-formed auxiliary supported that goal as well asother beautification efforts in the community and in 1920 itsmembers launched a project of their own. They leased the oldwater-powered gristmill from the Benedict family, which ownedit, in a bid to stem the building’s decay.

For the next two decades the auxiliary held food sales,collected modest dues and sought donations towards that end. Itsminutes detailed how those funds were spent—for carpenters,painters, roofers and plumbers as well for donations to the HospitalFund, Red Cross, and a polio drive. During WWII, the group alsoused its funds to purchase U.S. War Bonds and to support the WaterMill Civil Defense Committee and the Camp Upton Army base.

Although the auxiliary tried regularly and unsuccessfully toacquire the water mill building, it was not until the Benedicts fellon hard times during the early days of WWII that they agreed tosell. To acquire the mill the auxiliary incorporated as a non-profitin 1942 under the name the Ladies Auxiliary of Water Mill(LAWM) and organized a Mill Purchase Drive that quickly raisedthe $2,000 asking price.

At the LAWM’s first official meeting, a board of directors waselected, the mill purchase was approved, and it was suggested thatshutters be built for the windows to protect them “from a great dealof damage done by stones [thrown by mischief-makers] during thewinter.”

Soon after, according to the group’s wartime minutes, aresolution was passed stating that “regardless of the shortage ofsugar and other foods, it was voted to have the regular summerfood sale and rummage sale.” The sale raised over $500.

A later entry in the minutes reported that “Miss Elizabeth Kentspoke of the thoughtful work of this Society during its existenceand said she was very glad to be a member.”

In the years since 1942 much has changed in Water Mill. Theorganization that owns and manages the mill is now known as theWater Mill Museum and its board of directors now includes menas well as women. But its mission and its members’ dedicationremain the same.

We owe a lot to Ada Morse, Elizabeth Kent and the generationsof local and summer Water Mill residents in whose footsteps wefollow and think they would be proud of all those who continue towork to preserve our most cherished mill.

Thank you one and all.Marlene Haresign

The Women Who Saved Our Water Mill

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”—Margaret Mead

Water Mill Museum Gift Shop A Unique Stocking Stuffer

For some time we have been searching for an attractive,affordable ornament commemorating our Mill.

We think we found it andbegan offering it in August. Itis a white porcelain disk witha sketch of our 1644 WaterMill and on the flip side thereis a beautiful sketch of theCorwith Windmill. It comesin a velvet drawstring bag forgift giving and protectivestorage. You may want to startyour holiday shopping today!

(Water Mill Museum members receive a discount of 10%) Please call Sandy 631-283-0527 for more information.

2.85" Glossy –2 Sided$18.00

In 1994 Ruth and John Manton were the luckywinners of WM Museum’s beautiful scenic raffle quilt.

It has been generously donated back to the museum for all to enjoy. —Thank you, Mrs. Manton!

350th Anniversary Quilt Returns to Water Mill

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Anne O’Neill, 96 years young, made this year’s raffle quilt.Anne moved to Springs with her husband in the 80’s. She has beenquilting for more than 60 years. Anne has created quilts for the EHLibrary, the EH Presbyterian Church, the EH LVIS, as well as handquilting past Water Mill Museum raffle quilts. Anne is known forher scrappy quilts, using old-fashioned fabrics from the 1930’s.Anne hand pieces and hand quilts her masterpieces. She loveskeeping busy and she is still creating string quilts today!

“The winner of Anne’s beautiful quilt was Cathie Hohner fromBabylon. Cathie’s husband grew up in Water Mill— right downthe road from the mill!”

Thank you to ClayArt Guild forsponsoring the 2019Bowls of Plentyevent for the benefitof Water MillMuseum! OnOctober 12th thegenerous volun teers,soup-makers andbowl ceramicistscame together tocreate a highlysuccessful andenjoyable time.

Water Mill Museum High TeaSeptember 28, 2019

In celebration of our 50th anniversary as a Museum our boardput together an event that honored one of the many uses of ourmill, a TEA ROOM.

Kathy, our Museum Manager,did a great job creating flyers andthe printed menu for the event. Bothour 12 Noon and 2 PM seatings (24 each) were sold out.

PLAIN-T loaned us their teapotsand donated three types of tea.

Our board members heroically created each item on themenu—2 kinds of scones, 5 kinds of tea sandwiches, 7 differentsweets, each a delicious work of art. There was one of eachoffering for each patron! No one went away hungry! Besides thecooking, the members offered their tea cups, silverware, napkins,tablecloths, three-tiered plate servers, food decorations, glasses,electric tea kettles, printed pictures for the walls and the list goeson. They manned the kitchen plating, making the teas, washing thedishes and resetting the tables with fresh linens between the 12 and2 PM seating. And yes, there was the set up and cleanup. Thankyou to all for your generous support; you were the reason for thissuccessful ($1250) endeavor!

High Tea, September 28, 2019

Anne O’Neill

BOWLS of PLENTY

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2020 Water Mill Museum BoardBoard of Directors

President – Jeanne WhiteVice President – Donna Liehr

Recording Secretary – Sandy RaynorCorresponding Secretary – Anita Bishop

Treasurer – Charles Halsey

Honorary Life MembersMarilyn CorwithMarlene HaresignNancy HalseyJanet LavinioMary Maran

R. Timothy MaranArthur Muller

Lucille Berrill Paulsen

Archives – Jane Halsey Newsletter Layout – Susan McCulley Investments – Vivian CorwithNewsletter Mailings – Sue TaylorMembership/Hospitality – Donna Liehr Bricks/Hospitality – Faye AndreasenQuilt Show/Facebook – Eileen Noonan

Membership/Buildings & Grounds – Bob Liehr

Quilt Show – Peggy HelstowskiGift Shop – Sandy RaynorRoof Project Manager – Charles HalseyMill Manager/Publicity/Facebook/Calendar/

Webmaster – Kathy Odell Hamilton

Committee Chairs:

Holiday Greetings anda Happy New Year

from the Water Mill Museum

ATTENTION Artist Members

If you wish to take part in theMembers’ Art Show next spring,it is essential that we have yourcontact information. Please besure that we have your emailaddress.

Questions? Go to ourwebsite to register or contactco-chair Christina Stowe atmacinspired@gmail.com

The Water Mill Village Improvement Association is updating the Vietnam War Plaque on the VillageGreen. If you know of any man or woman who leftWater Mill to serve in Vietnam, please contact

Charlie Corwith at 631-404-2453.

Water Mill MuseumPO Box 63Water Mill, NY 11976

Water Mill Museum Gallery

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