Kenyon’s Grist Mill
Washington Co. | Rhode Island | USA
Watersource: Glen Rock Reservoir.
Kenyon’s Grist Mill
The address is 21 Old Usquepaugh Road & Punchbowl Trail in West Kingstown /Usquepaugh, RI. About 6 miles west on Kingstown on Sr 138, angle right on Old Usquepaugh Rd., then right to the mill on the right south of Punch Bowl Road.
The first mill near this location was built in 1696 and known as Mumford's Mill. Grain and corn meal have been ground here continuously since then; although today, the grinding is done in the newer 1886 mill structure.
Charles D. Kenyon purchased the present mill, built in 1886 by John Tarbox, in 1909.
Corn is augered from the bin directly into the mill for grinding into corn meal.
The dam behind the mill on Glen Rock Res., which is fed by the following streams: Glen Rock Brook, Sherman Brook, Rake Factory Brook, and Queen River. Locke Brook also feed into Queen River.
The historical inlet for the water-powered mill.
The turbine pit at the mill.
The corn meal milling stone set.
The millstone set and millstone crane arm to lift the millstones off thwe set to enable the stones to be sharpened.
The chute used to bring the corn to the hopper above the millstones.
In 2014, the mill is still operating using the original granite mill stones quarried in Westerly, RI.
The current owner is Paul Drumm III, who has been working at the mill since the age of 10. His father, Paul Drumm Jr., purchased the mill in 1971.
The grist mill store at Kenyon's Grist Mill.GPS: 41° 30.25' N 71° 36.51' W ele 148'/45 meters Providence Quadrangle
It is believed to be the first mill in RI to package Kenyon's Johnnycakes Meal. Check the website to see when the Johnnycake Festival ocurrs.