One of the most storied buildings in West Tisbury may be more open to the public after an organization dedicated to the preservation of historic Vineyard properties purchased it.
The Vineyard Preservation Trust purchased the Old Mill building for $1 this month. The building itself was built in 1848, but the grist mill dates all the way back to the 1600s. It’s located on a stretch of State Road in West Tisbury; flower beds jut out from the weathered wooden exterior, and dragonflies, ducks, and turtles scuttle around the area in the warmer months due to its proximity to Mill Pond.
The sale was made in partnership with the longtime stewards of the property, the Garden Club, which is a volunteer-run nonprofit dedicated to enriching horticulture knowledge. The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank is another partner, which will provide upkeep of the natural area behind the building, tending to a path that snakes toward central West Tisbury, and the continued conservation of the land over time.
“Their [the Land Bank’s] goal is to create that connectivity, like they have for so many properties to downtown West Tisbury,” Nevette Previd, the executive director of the Trust, said to The Times. “So that would also open it up to the public to be able to enjoy this sweet little spot: a little fairyland behind this gorgeous stone building that’s been there for hundreds of years.”
Under the Trust’s ownership, the historic building will be available to rent for public and private events. It’s its first acquisition of a property in more than 10 years, since the Carnegie in Edgartown, previously the Edgartown Public Library, in 2016. And the Old Mill is joining its other West Tisbury holdings: Alley’s General Store, the West Tisbury Public Library, and Grange Hall.
“In order for these buildings to be valued, they need to be seen,” said Previd.
The history of the Old Mill dates back generations, and its significant lore is exactly why the Trust acquired it.
In the 17th century, a tall grist mill stood on the land. A large wheel, connected to the nearby water source, Mill Pond, ground grain and wheat into flours and animal feed. It was an agricultural tool for the Vineyard community of its time, which was largely populated by new English settlers and the original stewards of the land, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah).
In 1809, the mill was converted to a wool mill, producing water-resistant clothing and wool cloth for sailors called satinet. By 1848, the current structure was built by a new buyer, Capt. Thomas Bradley. For years after, the site was one of many examples of the rising industrialization on the Island. It is theorized that Bradley was responsible for the dammingof the brook that connects to Old Mill Pond and other water features in West Tisbury, which has continued to be a contentious issue for Islandersand conservationists over how to restore the damaged waterways.
Previd said the Old Mill is also tied to Dr. Daniel Fisher, an industrial-era doctor and business owner who purchased large swaths of land and built historic structures such as the Daniel Fisher House in Edgartown, another property owned by the Preservation Trust. Fisher also started many local businesses, was a Harvard-educated practitioner who brought medical care to the Island, mainly for sailors, and was a pioneer in the whaling industry.
“This is such a gem, and a building with such a deep history, and quite an interesting connection to Daniel Fisher, someone who is really part of the Trust story,” Previd told The Times. “So his story, as it travels to the Old Mill: He used it as a grist mill at the time, one of his entrepreneurial adventures.”
In the 20th century, the Old Mill declined in use and function until the Garden Club took over the property in 1937 to save it from being torn down. The Garden Club were stewards of the property for years, holding annual events such as the “Blooming Art at the Old Mill,” which was open for the public to view and purchase local art and florals. The Trust said they’ll continue to hold this event.
“The Garden Club will have use of the building for all of their programs, and like we have with Circuit Arts and a couple of our partners, we will then honor our mission: To open it up and make it available to the public, for rental, for free, events, for meetings, and for art shows, honoring the history of the building,” Previd said.