Two men on a mill

A local restoration narrative recounts the history and rehabilitation of a 250-year-old Cape Cod water grist mill, tracing its construction by early colonial builders, an unbroken line of ownership, decline and adaptive uses, and the eventual 1961–62 restoration that returned it to grinding corn. The author combines archival research, technical description of mill machinery and repairs, and personal reminiscences from town figures and neighbors to explore the mill's material workings, restoration challenges, and community attitudes toward preservation, reflecting on memory, craftsmanship, and the value of conserving vernacular industrial heritage.