Mill Dam Bridge in Centerport

Spanning the tidal-flats of Centerport Harbor, the Mill Dam Bridge has a history as old as our country itself. A tide-mill and dam were constructed here in 1774, which replaced an earlier mill built just south of this site in 1674.  Although the mill is long gone, the bridge and dam have been reincarnated several times in the last century. 

Its most recent form, built in 2005, may be the most inviting. Designed with accessibility and aesthetics in mind, there is stonework and detail often not found in public works today. At several points, the sidewalks widen to create viewing areas of both the harbor and the sluice gates below. Both ends of the bridge have small pocket-parks with benches, and various bric-a-brac. 

It's not just a utilitarian bridge and dam - it's a place to spend a little time. It's the Camden Yards of Long Island Sound bridges.

I suppose Centerport Harbor is one of those settings that would be beautiful regardless of the bridge which was built. Still, it is nice to see structures which compliment the surroundings, rather than detract. And it's especially heartening to see city fathers and planners trying to appeal to public-access kooks like me. 

Jarvis House: Mill Dam Bridge (Lori put together a collection of wintertime photos)

Boating Times: Centerport Harbor

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photo credit: Wikipedia

Extremes IV

Just three months separate these photos of an unnamed millpond located on the backside of Orchard Beach in the Bronx. With a late fall foliage this year, there were many shoreline areas of  the Sound holding onto their summer green well into October. Much like the tides, change came gradually at first, but then very fast. In a matter of weeks, we went from summer-like days to the starkness of winter: barren trees, dying grass, then snow, then ice. In this same short span, I went from living aboard a boat to trudging through fields of snow. So long deck shoes; hello duck boots.

NYC Parks: Orchard Beach

10,000 Birds: Dipping On Owls At Pelham Bay Park

photos: (top to bottom)

mid October

late November

late December

early January

West Pond

West Pond, Glen Cove, October, 2009



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Setauket Grist Mill

As early as 1664, a mill operated  along this edge of the Setauket Pond that flows into Conscience Bay. The structure located here now is a re-creation built in 1937 as part of the Frank Melville Memorial Park. This is a private park that was dedicated by his son Ward Melville, and is maintained by the Frank Melville Memorial Foundation.

Much of the character of the Three Village area (Stony Brook, Setauket, Old Field) is the result of Ward Melville who was instrumental in preserving, restoring, and re-creating many of the colonial buildings here. When I first learned of him years ago, I was intrigued and wanted to know more. One of my pet-peeves has always been the suburbanization of America and the abandonment of it's downtowns and village centers.Ward Melville appeared to be an early advocate for the preservation of American towns.

Scratching too deep can sometimes lead to disappointment. While Mr Melville was adamant about maintaining an historic aura in his hometown, he was simultaneously destroying much of the nation's architectural character. His Melville Corporation (Thom McCan, and later CVS as well as others) paved heavily the destruction of the American landscape. He outsourced jobs before outsourcing was even a word; and he replaced town centers with generic shopping centers. Wal-Mart would be proud!  Every vacant downtown, every ugly strip of chain stores, and every abandoned factory is partially the result of Ward Melvilles "pioneering".

Meanwhile, back at the Setauket Grist Mill, I took in the beauty of the freshly fallen snow and the peaceful surroundings. Robert Frost could have composed a poem, and Norman Rockwell, a painting;.... this is one of the most charming sections of the North Shore thanks to Ward Melville. But as much as I enjoyed the scenery, my mind kept drifting off to Paramus, Rockville Center, and every other town that lost it's soul to the Miracle Mile half a century ago.

Melville Corporation Chain Stores List

Ward Melville Heritage Trust

Frank Melville Memorial Park

Three Village Website

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Rings End Bridge In Darien

The western approach to Long Neck Point crosses Gorham Pond and the remains of a grist mill dam.  As early as 1708, a mill stood here before eventually being destroyed by fire in the early 20th century. The Rings End Bridge (aka Gorham's Pond Bridge) was constructed in the 1920's. The stonework and arches make this one of the more attractive bridges I have seen.

The bridge aside, this photo interests me because it captures that brief window in November when the trees and sky have turned gray, yet the weeds and grass in the foreground are holding on to their autumn color. It reminds me of those images that add color to one item in a black & white photograph.

Darien Times: Bacterial Levels Less Of A Problem In 2009

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Kirby Pond Tide Mill

Along Kirby Lane in Rye are several parking spaces directly across from the Tide Mill Boat Basin. The spot provides an attractive view of a former tide mill and pond. Built in 1770, the mill's grinding wheels (bottom photo) now mark the entrance to the marina. The Rye Nature Center has provided an interpretive sign that provides a brief history of the mill, along with a guide to the birds found on the pond.

Although there is not a park here, and the mill is private property, this location provides a unique view with peaceful surroundings. The building is a popular subject for artists and photographers. When I visited this week, a painter was setting up his easel, while a couple with a large black lab shared something to eat as they took in the view.

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Tide Mill Boat Basin : History Of The Mill

Painting Rye: The Mill Pond (scroll down)

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Wikipedia: Tide Mills

Old Mill Beach In Westport

If I had the motivation, I could put together a collection of the mill ponds that border Long Island Sound. I would not be at a loss for material. The ponds are a common feature along many of the harbors and coves I have visited, and each is unique in its setting, history, and design.
Despite their abundance, they often remain an uncelebrated sight, tucked away on some remote and leafy residential peninsula.
Situated between Compo Beach and Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, is Sherwood Island Mill Pond and Old Mill Beach. The low tide at Old Mill allowed me to walk a great distance out on the flats, but I was more interested in the view to the north. The waters of the pond made their way down some falls, before following a tidal strait that divided the beach. A pair of wooden footbridges spanned the falls, and created the rare situation where I spent most of my visit with my back to the Sound.

OLD MILL BEACH: WebAlbum
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Leeds Pond Preserve

Years ago, when I was looking to anchor in Manhasset Bay, I would often drop the hook in about ten feet of water off of Leeds Pond. My rule of thumb in locating the anchorage was to motor south of the yacht club mooring fields, and look for a stretch of shoreline that was heavily wooded, and was void of any waterfront homes. Manhasset Bay is a busy harbor, but this anchorage provided calm from activity ashore and afloat.
Leeds Pond is a 35 acre preserve that includes a wetlands trail that winds along the pond and a freshwater marsh. The preserve is also the home of the Science Museum Of Long Island. The museum sits on a hill that provides views of the lower section of the bay. There are gardens and an interpretive center on the grounds as well.
The highlight of my visit was a walk along North Plandome Road, that separates Leeds Pond from Manhasset Bay. From this location, I could watch the waters of the pond fall into a spillway and pass an old mill, before making their way across tidal flats and into the bay.
Scenic and peaceful, as it normally is.

LEEDS POND PRESERVE: WebAlbum
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Pelham Bay Park

Years ago, I read some information about Pelham Bay Park that has stuck with me. The article or guidebook described the park as the southernmost example of a rocky New England shoreline. It was one of those things that I had not really thought about, yet it seemed so obvious, and so amazing at the same time. The rocky shoreline does continue to Throggs Neck and the East River, but most of it is no longer in its natural state. South of New York Harbor, it is sandy beaches and barrier islands, with the Chesapeake and Delaware bays consisting of mostly mud. Starting in Novia Scotia and extending through New England, this is the end of the line for the classic rocky coast.
Pelham Bay Park covers 2,766 acres in the Northeast Bronx, and includes golf courses, horse stables,a museum, and a police firing range. My visit in October however, was focused on Twin Island Preserve and Hunter Island Preserve, which form the peninsula that extends northeast from Orchard Beach.
I entered Twin Island Preserve at the far end of the promenade that wraps around the beach. After a short distance along the main trail, I came to several paths that lead to the shoreline. The exposed bedrock and glacial erratics were bright from the sun. Davids Island and Pea Island sat in the distance, while a lone barge made its way down the Sound. I passed a few fishermen as I made my way along, eventually reaching the ruins of an old tide mill. All that remains is a dam with a sluice, and two ebb tides a day.
I entered Hunter Island Preserve after crossing through a picnic area that is adjacent to the beach. This area was much more wooded and seemed less traveled (it is also a larger area). I arrived at a spot where Glen Island and the New York Athletic Club were just a short distance across the channel. The Iona College crew team glided by as their coach barked orders from a boat that trailed behind them. The newly built high-rises in New Rochelle stood in the distance. Eventually, I reached a forested area that contained a stand of very large trees. I am certainly no expert on trees, but these were of considerable size, and appeared to be quite old. I began to wonder where the oldest native trees were in NYC. Inwood Hill? Riverdale? Brooklyn? Were any of the trees here around in colonial times?
The trail began to lead west and work its way back. There was less shore access along this stretch, but there were still random views of a protected cove, and the lagoon used for the 1964 Olympic Rowing trials. The top floors of a few Co-op City buildings appeared on the horizon, reminding me that I was in the Bronx, and it was 2008.

Pelham Bay Park: WebAlbum
Soundbounder: Orchard Beach Lagoon
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