Millstones
These millstones, made of New England granite, were used to grind grain into meal (a fine powder) for baking and cooking.
Millstones in a gristmill work in pairs, like scissor blades, with the grooved surfaces facing each other.
Grain is fed through the hole in the top stone, which turns while the lower one is stationary.
As the sharp-edged grooves cross one another, they shear the grain into a fine powder.
To learn more, please visit the Gristmill.
Erected by Old Sturbridge Village.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce.
Location. 42° 6.503′ N, 72° 5.914′ W. Marker is in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in Worcester County. Marker and millstones are near the Old Sturbridge Village Visitor Center entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge MA 01566, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Getting Water (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Where is the Farm? (about 600 feet away); Fitch House Yard (about 600 feet away); The Fire Pit (about 600 feet away); Farming as a Way of Life
this page online
More about this marker. There is an identical marker and two other millstones near the Gristmill.
Also see . . .
1. 19th Century Technology at a Grist Mill at YouTube. (Submitted on June 16, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Old Sturbridge Village Gristmill. (Submitted on June 17, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 16, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 157 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 16, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
