Lefferts Tide Mill & Preserve awarded grant to combat climate change
Lefferts Tide Mill & Preserve has been awarded a $7,500 Technical Assistance grant from the Preservation League of New York State. The grant will fund an Engineering/Structural Analysis for the historic Van Wyck-Lefferts Tide Mill in Huntington, one of the best preserved 18th-century tide mills in the country.
“The grant will give us different options for how to continue the preservation and restoration of the Lefferts Tide Mill and Dam, focusing on issues related to climate change and its effects on the dam,” said Claudia Fortunato, Executive Director of the Lefferts Tide Mill and Preserve.
The Lefferts Tide Mill Dam was built in 1795 to impound water used as a power source for the adjacent Mill. The dam is constructed across ‘Puppy Cove’ which is part of Huntington Harbor. The dam includes a tide gate at the center to allow the mill pond to fill during high tide. A water wheel was used to power the mill as the tide went out.
Currently, the tide gate, at the center of the dam, consists of a series of stop logs which are installed or removed to regulate the water level in the reservoir behind the dam. Recently, additional stop logs were installed to maintain the height of the mill pond. As a result of this work, water in the reservoir flowed around the stop log boards and through the stone retaining walls of the dam potentially undermining its integrity. In addition, the dam has overtopped regularly when there is a full moon high tide.
This Engineering/Structural Analysis will identify potential repair options, including fixing the area around the tide gate and installing a cutoff to reduce seepage and potential internal erosion through the dam as well as steps to protect the dam from overtopping. Consultants from Haley & Aldrich, Inc. will complete the Analysis.
“This year, the League has brought our two longstanding NYSCA partnership grants together into one cycle, allowing us to see a clear picture of the remarkable preservation work getting started across the state,” said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of NYS. “The targeted studies funded by TAG and the expansive reports made possible by PNY will lay the groundwork for many vital projects over the years to come.”
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The Huntington Historical Society, in partnership with the Lefferts Tide Mill & Preserve, will give fall tours of the Van Wyck-Lefferts Tide Mill on Sept. 26 at 2 p.m.; Oct. 8 at 11:30 a.m.; and Oct. 24 at 12:30 p.m. The 1½-hour tour includes a short boat ride from Gold Star Battalion Beach past waterfront mansions with sightings of egrets, ospreys, and visiting waterfowl. For ages 12 and up. Not handicapped accessible. $20 per person, $15 members. Reservations required. 631-427-7045, www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org