After over a year of planning, which has included fund raisers, petition drives, and support from Nassau County's most powerful politician, renovation work has finally begun on the Roslyn Grist Mill, one of the village's oldest historical buildings----and certainly one in most dire need of repairs.

According to Harrison Hunt, a curator of Historical Sites for Nassau County, the work going on now is mostly "remedial repairs" designed to reinforce and strengthen the building, "pending full restoration."

More specifically, the structure's cracked concrete facade is being removed and replaced by textural plywood. In addition, the concrete siding on the east and north sides of the building is being removed for the same plywood. Workers are also reinforcing beams into the first floor level to support main beams throughout the building.

Mr. Hunt, who oversees the Cedarmere home in addition to the Grist Mill, admits that the ongoing work is only a small part of the entire restoration plan. Full restoration, he said, requires a "capital project." Toward that end, he added that the $1.2 million bond issue before the Nassau County legislature contains the "money that is needed" to complete the job.

The bond act is supported by Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Gulotta, who announced his intention to help any Grist Mill renovation at Roslyn Mayor Janet Galante's swearing in last winter. Mayor Galante has also termed the renovation as a "top priority" of her administration. Since then, the bond act has languished in the legislature. No one wants to say a renovation can be done without the bond act, but the legislation, as Mr. Hunt acknowledges, contains the necessary funds for the project.

In March, 1997, Dr. Gordon Jacoby, a research scientist at Columbia University told members of the Roslyn Landmark Society that time was running out for any effective renovation work on the structure. The wood from the Grist Mill, Dr. Jacoby claimed, was "born" in 1680. Needless to say, the wood structure is fragile and deteriorating and the necessary work to save the mill must be done soon.

So in August of last year, a fund raiser was held at the George Washington Manor. The event attracted up to 250 people, each of whom paid $30 to attend. The evening also featured 150 items and gifts placed on the auction block. Such corporate heavyweights as NBC, Loews/Sony Theaters and The New York Times contributed items as did numerous local small businesses including the Roslyn Deli, Jolly Fisherman, Diane's Restaurant, Friend of A Farmer, and Giordino Cafe.

Over the winter, the village's "1701 Grist Mill Committee" gathered over 1,000 local signatures imploring the Nassau County Legislature members to vote yes on a $1.2 million bond act that would pay for much of the renovation process. The petition, in short, asked legislatures to "support appropriating the necessary funds in the county budget to restore the....Grist Mill....in the historic village of Roslyn. This restoration project will preserve a significant historical landmark that is a valuable part of the rich colonial heritage of Nassau County."

Both the fund raiser and the petition drive were also undertaken to convince county lawmakers that there is genuine grass roots support for Grist Mill restoration among Roslyn residents.

Finally, the Roslyn Landmark Society, the Nassau County Museum and the Grist Mill Committee joined forces last February to compile an exhibit illustrating the workings of the Grist Mill and the use of the building as a popular Tea Room in this century. Both local residents and museum staff members worked on the project which also had the support of the Roslyn Savings Bank.