History & Culture · Long Island
East Rockaway's Old Mill Still Explains the Waterfront
East Rockaway's grist mill, Mill River, oysters, rail stop, and restored museum give the village a waterfront story that still feels close by.
Published July 6, 2026 · Last verified July 6, 2026
Mill River is a good way into East Rockaway’s story. The village history says the area was called Near Rockaway, or Neare Rockaway, as early as 1665. In December 1688, Hempstead granted Joseph Haviland land to build a grist mill on Mill River. The Haviland-Davison Grist Mill followed around 1689 and became a center of local business and social life.
The mill was not sitting in a quiet corner. East Rockaway’s south shore location tied it to maritime work: oysters and farm produce moving toward New York City, with lumber and grain headed inland. Later, the name changed to East Rockaway in 1869, the railroad station opened in 1880, and the village incorporated in 1900.
The old mill still has a public afterlife. The Grist Mill Museum at 30 Woods Avenue was burned in 1990 and restored. Its displays include bay exhibits, old store settings, period costumes, and an old fire-pump engine.
So East Rockaway’s waterfront identity is not just boats on the bay. It is also a working mill, a river, freight, rail, and a restored building that keeps the older village within reach.