Stone Mills, Garden Spiders In September

“Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” – E.B. White

September is a month of change, of deep purple New England asters and bright yellow goldenrod, cool early mornings, pastures full of spider webs, the scent of apples, mushrooms and mist on the river.

Around nearly every corner in New England is the presence of history, which for me is people doing work, making things and using what materials they had at hand. Down a curvy road that leads to the Fenton River is Connecticut’s only stone grist mill, the Gurleyville Grist Mill, located about 2.5 miles east of the University of Connecticut, Storrs.

The present stone structure was built in 1835, but working mills at the same site are documented back to 1723.( Just think of the layers of time and human interaction there when visiting.)

According to Mansfield history, the mill contains a “complete system of preserved milling equipment. This is not a restoration; here visitors see the equipment as it was operated over many decades and to the middle of this century.

A grist mill turned harvested grains such as corn, rye, oats and or barley into meal for human consumption or livestock feed. Two sets of grinding stones stand as they were when last used. Conveying devices, shafts, and huge gears are intact. “Unusual in gristmills is the basement, where a huge water wheel once turned from water diverted under the building from the Fenton River. The mill was for some years operated by the family of Wilbur Lucius Cross, a governor of Connecticut. He was born in the house located close by.” (Note: The home is not open to the public.) The property was bought in 1979 by The Joshua’s Tract Conservation and Historic Trust with private and public funding.

The mill and museum are open 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday from late May through the second Sunday in October. Call (860) 429-9023 for more information. There is no admission fee, but donations are welcome. Note: Garden orb weaver spiders are not only beautiful, but beneficial to life. Those fortunate enough to see one weaving its daily new web have witnessed a natural wonder.
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Save The Date

Celebrating Agriculture happens on Saturday, Sept. 25, Woodstock Fairgrounds, Route 169, Woodstock Conn., free admission and parking, rain or shine, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A day filled with agricultural displays, family events, food and entertainment. Family fun includes White House egg decorating contest, and the Connecticut Poultry Association omelet and crepe cooking demonstrations.