Historic Sites
Dexter Grist Mill in Sandwich, Massachusetts
During the Industrial Revolution, Dexter’s Grist Mill took on new importance. In the early nineteenth century, new factories processing wool and producing woolen cloth, marble, and glassware began to open in Sandwich. These factories brought more people to Sandwich, which increased the demand for the cornmeal produced in the grist mill. During the town’s industrial boom, its other factories depended on the grist mill to provide food for their workers.
In the late nineteenth century, industry began to decline in Sandwich. Factories in Sandwich faced fierce competition from factories located in places where resources were more abundant, and labor was cheaper. The factory that produced marble, which was located just east of the grist mill, stopped producing marble
As people began to leave Sandwich to find work elsewhere, the demand for cornmeal declined and the grist mill closed. In the 1960s, the town restored the mill to its early nineteenth-century glory by reconstructing the undershot wooden water wheel and installing authentic nineteenth-century grinding wheels from France. Today, the mill produces freshly ground cornmeal the same way it did before the Industrial Revolution.
Many people visit Dexter’s Grist Mill not for the history, but for the picturesque view. The mill, which is located in the center of Sandwich’s historical district, sits on the tranquil waters of Lower Shawme Pond. Where the lake meets the mill, a beautiful cut-stone millrace directs rushing water through the mill’s water wheel and into Mill Creek. It’s not uncommon to encounter wedding parties and other groups taking photographs in this beautiful historical spot.
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