Built 1869 NRHP Reference # 72001332 Area 5 ha | Opened 1869 Added to NRHP 26 April 1972 | |
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Location Iron Street, Ledyard, Connecticut | ||
The Main Sawmill, now known as Ledyard Up-Down Sawmill, is located on Iron Street in Ledyard, Connecticut. The sawmill was built in 1869 by Israel Brown.
History
A sawmill was built on the site in the 1790s by Nathaniel Brown II and Increase B. Stoddard. Philip Gray purchased the mill in 1805 and built a dam on an adjacent pond. Gray sold the mill in 1831. The current sawmill uses an up-and-down sash saw and was built in 1869 by Israel Brown. Brown mortgaged the mill and water rights to William Leeds Main in 1887. The mill was in operation until 1935.
The Town of Ledyard purchased the mill in 1966 to create Sawmill Park. The buildings and dam were restored by volunteers over a nine-year period. The sawmill was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 26, 1972. The park and mill were opened to the public on April 19, 1975.