Government Center in Boston in Suffolk County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)

Millstone from South Mill

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 6, 2026

1. Millstone from South Mill Marker

Inscription. Boston's South Mill operated just a few feet from here between about 1650 and 1809. This granite millstone, quarried in the neighboring Town of Quincy, was used in the South Mill sometime between 1792 and 1809, according to archaeologists.

A typical gristmill of the time would have contained two pairs of large granite millstones that ground corn, wheat, and other grains into flour. The mill was powered by a large wooden wheel that was turned by water flowing out of the nearby Mill Pond during falling tides.

Each pair of millstones contained a rotating top Runner Stone and a stationary bottom Bedstone. The rotation of the water wheel turned the Runner Stone by a series of wooden shafts and iron gears. This stone and fragments of gears found in the bottom of Mill Creek by archaeologists in 1999 provide clues to how the mill once operated.

The two side holes used for lifting this millstone, and the large central hole, or eye, for receiving the grain to be ground, indicate that this is the top Runner Stone. Grain is ground as it is worked between the furrows carved into the rotating Runner Stone and the stationary

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Bedstone.

This millstone was mounted at this location in 2004.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Anthropology & Archaeology • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1650.

Location. 42° 21.748′ N, 71° 3.435′ W. Marker is in Boston, Massachusetts, in Suffolk County. It is in Government Center. It is on John F. Fitzgerald Surface Road south of New Sudbury Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 136 Blackstone Street, Boston MA 02113, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Historic Boston. It is also in the American Northeast,

in New England,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mill Creek (here, next to this marker); Zipporah Potter Atkins

Millstone and marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 6, 2026

2. Millstone and marker

(within shouting distance of this marker); Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway (within shouting distance of this marker); Boston Timeline (within shouting distance of this marker); The Bell-in-Hand (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ebenezer Hancock House (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Boston Timeline (about 400 feet away); Proclamation of the "Bells" Journey (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Boston.

More about this marker. This marker stands next to the millstone it describes. Another historical marker immediately behind this one is about Mill Creek, which used to run near this location.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 11, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.