MillStone by Haymarket
Historic Millstone by Haymarket is ignored by many that passerby
As you walk along the backside of the Boston Public Market, you may encounter a strange stone wheel and a cement path heading towards Faneuil Hall.
While it might look like an artistic display, it's actually a piece of Boston's history that is more than 300 years old. It's an original Millstone that helps colonial Bostonians grind up grain.
Six Things I learned about the Mill Creek Millstone
- On November 16, 1999, During the construction of the "Big Dig," two Millstones were found near the Dock Square Parking Garage. (Which is next to the Hard Rock Cafe)
- According to one archeologist, the discovery of the millstones and colonial trash nearby is the "finest such artifacts ever found from Colonial Boston - the true treasure is encased in the creek bottom"
- The Millstones each weighed 2,200 pounds and are believed to be dated from the 1700s.
- In Colonial Boston, there was a large pond near the area near Faneuil Hall. The millstones were found in an area where a creek was created from the pond to the ocean.
- The rise in tide would how the the grist mills were powered.
- There use to be a sign next to the Millstone, but it's been removed for many years - leaving the history and story of the Millstone a mystery to those that walk by.
Colonial Boston Map
A map of Boston that shows the location of Millpond.
You can learn more about the Millstone on the Massachusetts Historical Commission page.
Source: Information was gathered from various sources including the Boston Globe which covered the story in 1999.