The Little Red Mill is generally credited by historians as being the first saw mill ever erected on Long Island. Some time before about 1659, when Riverhead was part of Southold, John Tucker received permission from the Southold Town authorities to set up the mill. According to the Southold Town Records:
“At a meetinge of the Towne John Tucker propounded for liberty to sett upp a saw mill inplace most convenient within the Towne bounds neer the head of the River [Riverhead] and liberty to cutt all sorts of timber…. The [permission for Tucker to build the saw mill] was granted…uppon his promise [that] the Towne of Southold should be first from tyme to tyme supplyed with boards for every mans particular use…” (Vol. 1, p. 102).
For 250 years the Peconic River provided power for milling operations. The first, the Little Red Mill or Tucker’s saw mill, was followed by grist mills, more saw mills, planing and moulding mills, a paper mill, a woolen mill, a fulling mill (where the newly woven wool was scoured), a flour mill, a sorghum mill, and eventually an electric power plant. Riverhead once had a hamlet named Upper Mills, which tooks its name from the several mills located on the upper part of the Peconic River.
On Friday, March 11, 1938, the Riverhead News declared “Little Red Mill, Old Landmark Is Disappearing–Quaint Structure Believed to Be First ‘Business’ Building in Riverhead.” The mill on Peconic Avenue was demolished by its owner, Frank Woodhull, to permit the extension of a newer building, the Riverhead Auto Parts.
SOURCES: “A Brief History of Early Riverhead Town,” by Justine W. Wells (1992); “Peconic River Mills and Industries,” by Edna Howell Yeager (1965)
Reproduced with permission of the Suffolk County Historical Society.
Wendy Polhemus-Annibell is a local history librarian at the The Suffolk County Historical Society, a private nonprofit organization founded in 1886 to collect, preserve and interpret the ongoing history of Suffolk County and its people. To fulfill these purposes the society operates a history museum, a library and archives, and offers educational programs and events. The society houses a unique, ever-growing collection of artifacts, reflecting more than three centuries of history. For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Subscribe to the Photo of the Week from the Suffolk County Historical Society.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
