Watermills of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed

People have long been drawn to water, out of basic necessity, as a source of food resources, and more recently, for the power it can provide. Explore the history of the water-powered industry and the several dozen or so watermills of the Stony Brook-Millstone watershed. These range in date from the early 18th through the early 20th centuries, and cover a wide range of mill types, mostly grist and sawmills, but also many others, e.g., fulling, carding, woolen, cotton, flax, plaster, oil, clover, and more. Examine how these mills supported and shaped the communities within the watershed.

Richard Hunter has had a lifelong interest in mills.  His doctoral dissertation at Rutgers was a historical geographical study of mill siting in the Stony Brook-Millstone and North Branch of the Raritan watersheds.  In his professional career as an archeologist and cultural resource management specialist from the late 1970s onwards, he has researched and excavated numerous water-powered industrial sites of many different types throughout the state and Mid-Atlantic region.  Richard is founder and President of Hunter Research, Inc. a Trenton-based historic preservation and cultural resources consulting business. He is author of many articles and co-author (with Richard Porter) of Hopewell: A Historical Geography. 

Co-sponsored by The Watershed Institute, the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, and The Hopewell Museum.

This free adult program will take place in a hybrid format- you can attend in person at The Watershed Center or virtually via Zoom. 

If you wish to attend in person, please review our in-person program policies before registering: https://thewatershed.org/in-person-program-policies/