They’re among the oldest artifacts in New York City: two twin millstones, weathered by the elements and with curious straight-line engravings, dating as far back as the 17th century.
On display in a Queens Plaza greenspace, the millstones are contemporary link to colonial-era Queens, where the two stones most likely worked in tandem grinding corn and wheat into flour in a nearby gristmill powered by East River tides.
“By 1770 some five tide mills could be found along the coast of western Queens, servicing the hamlets of Dutch Kills, Ravenswood, and Astoria, which later joined to form Long Island City,” states the New York City Parks Department.
The two millstones are thought to be from a gristmill founded by German immigrant Burger Jorissen in the 1640s. His mill was located on present-day 41st Avenue and Northern Boulevard, according to the Parks Department.
The mill operated for two centuries. It ended up in the hands of the Payntar family and was ultimately demolished in 1861.
The Payntars put one of the millstones in the sidewalk in front of the family house—and a descendant in the early 1900s had it embedded in concrete in then-new Queens Plaza, states one source.
The second millstone was reportedly discovered in the 1980s. Both reunited stones ended up in a traffic island.
In concrete they remained, subject to wear and tear, until 2012, when they were moved to a new small park called Dutch Kills Green (top photo). The damage to these relics continues.
[Top photo: Jim Henderson/Wikipedia]
Tags: Astoria Ravenswood Queens, Colonial Queens, Dutch Kills Green Millstones, East River Gristmills, East River industry, Long Island City history, Queens in the 17th century, Queens Millstones
Ephemeral New York 
June 23, 2016 at 1:10 pm |
My great great uncle had his son drag a millstone up to the top of a cemetery to use as his headstone. He died a week later (not the son but the father).
June 24, 2016 at 1:21 am |
put 2 milstones at Astoria hist soc and if outside get advice from people that protect Plymouth rick. was never proted and them someone got smart to modern society and said some of these peole will notrespect the rock, lers fence in. good thing, it might only be a chip of a rcok today,.