Windmills and Sag Harbor

Old windmills are historical landmarks in this vacinity.  Used mostly for grinding grain and sawing wood, they served a very useful purpose to our forefathers.  Some of the windmills were built, at one time or another, in Sag Harbor.

In the year 1780 there were four operating windmills: three for grinding grain and the spider-leg mill for sawing wood for ships' timbers and docks.  In neighboring East Hampton Town lived the Dominy family who built most of the windmills on eastern Long Island.  Although the Dominy mills show Dutch influence, the mechanical working parts are basically of English design.  Much of the heavy timbers for these mills came from Sag Harbor and Gardiner's Island, being hauled overland to the mill site by oxen.

The windmills still standing are in fairly good state of preservation.  Local libraries and book shops can provide the interested person with all of the technical details of windmill operation.  The windmill at Water Mill standing on the village green, was built in North Haven in 1800 and moved to its present location in 1814 by James Corwith, who hauled it with 12 yoke of oxen.  It was used by the Corwith family throughout the Civil War period, up to 1887, grinding corn, wheat and oats for the community.

The windmill at Bridgehampton, on the former estate of John Berwind, is an historic landmark.  It was built in 1820 on Sherry's Hill at Sag Harbor by a Mr. Beebe, and moved to Bridgehampton in 1837.  Moved about several times, on one occasion fitted with steam power, it was bought by the Berwinds in 1916.  This was the famous "Flag on the Mill - Ship in the Bay" windmill, recalling the time when a flag flown from atop the windmill was a signal that another whaling ship had returned home, and overjoyed villagers would rush down to Long Wharf to greet their family and friends.

A scaled-down replica of the Beebe windmill now sits at the foot of Main Street at Long Wharf in Sag Harbor, and is the summer home of the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce, which operates it as a Tourist Information Center.  The Sag Harbor Lions Club also utilizes it during the month of December, selling Christmas trees and wreaths as an annual fundraiser.