| This antique mill dating back to the 1640's has
a distinctive history. Serving as Farmington's first grist mill,
it has housed a number of establishments over the years.
Originally constructed and owned by the Hart family, it was used
for grinding wheat and other grains up until 1963. Included
among the owners of the mill during those years was well-known
playwright Winchell Smith, a Hartford native. It is said that
Smith's stone-ground flour was coveted by Farmington homemakers.
In 1919, the grist mill played a cameo role in a scene from "Way
Down East", a film written and produced by Smith. The scene
shows actress Lillian Gish traversing the Farmington River by
jumping from ice floe to ice floe, closely followed by actor
Richard Barthelmess. The renowned mill soon came to the attention
of President Calvin Coolidge, who for the remainder of his
office, and for some time thereafter, ordered whole wheat flour
produced at the Farmington grist mill.
In 1963, the mill,
encumbered by increasing production costs and competition from
other businesses, closed its doors. It was later purchased by
Helen Winter, who divided the space to make room for various
shops, artists' studios, and a luncheon cafe'. Most recently, it
had been the home of a the Reading Room restaurant and a
well-stocked bookstore, which remains. The Grist Mill Restaurant
now dominates the site and has been expanded and renovated.
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"*** Superior
"Set
foot in The Grist Mill Restaurant only if you are prepared
to lose your heart to a branch of the Farmington River,
lapping and rolling directly below every window, visible
from almost every seat in the house."
Connecticut
Magazine
"For a romantic
dining experience, The Grist Mill has much going for it,
in ambiance, service, and, most of all, the caliber of
its food."
The New York
Times
Millrace Bookshop
in the Gristmill
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