End of an era for Adamsville mill

I bought it for the desire that it be here forever. If you've been to the mill before, you know all about its magic.”

The late Ralph Guild, from an essay he wrote on his love of the mill.

God bless you Ralph Guild — may your Johnny Cakes have heaps of maple syrup with plenty of melted butter well into eternity. You earned it.”

From a plaque at Gray's Grist Mill

Johnny Cake lovers take note — if it goes through as expected, one of the country's oldest continually operating grist mills will change hands for the first time in more than 40 years, and only the second time since before World War II, this Friday.

Gray's Grist Mill Inc. has entered into a purchase agreement with a buyer from Fairhaven, and is expected to close Friday on the entirety of the property at 634 and 638 Adamsville Road — the mill and its Johnny Cake meal milling operation, an office building next door and The Daily Grind coffee shop.

The identity of the buyer isn't yet public nor is the sale price, though the landmark property was listed for $550,000.

If the sale is finalized, it will spell the end of an era as the mill passes out of the hands of the Guild family, which has owned and lovingly cared for it since 1980.

The late Ralph Guild, who purchased the property with wife Calla and spent years — and millions — rehabilitating, restoring and protecting it, is a legend in local historical circles for the efforts he made to keep the piece of Westport and Little Compton's late 17th and early 18th century history alive. He passed away last November, and wife Calla followed him in July.

"You know, I never planned on being a mill owner," he once wrote. "Yet, here I find myself, owner of Gray’s Grist Mill since 1980. It’s funny how things work out. My first encounter with Gray’s Grist Mill came during the 1960s. At the time, the miller, John Hart, had been running Gray’s Grist Mill. I have to say that, on first sight, I was captivated by the whole experience – the classic New England mill, the picture book pond, and the archetypal miller."

After getting to know Hart and ultimately purchasing the mill from him upon his retirement at age 80, Guild promised to keep the long-running mill operation going, and never lapsed in that effort — "I bought it for the desire that it be here forever. If you've been to the mill before, you know all about its magic."

Throughout the 1980s and for the next three decades, Guild worked continually to restore the mill, its pond, and surrounding back area to what it was in the 1600s, and heralded in the arrival of three millers — the first, Tim McTague, his successor, Thornton Simmons, and finally the current miller, George Whitley, who continues to mill, market and sell meal out of the site. Guild also opened the coffee shop about 10 years ago.

A major milestone that will play into the site's future came in late 2017, when Guild signed a 30-year preservation restriction on the property. The restriction stipulates what can and can't be done with the property, and codifies Guild's hopes that Gray's will continue on in its present physical state through 2048.

Though little is yet known about the future owners' plans, conservationists and preservationists here said it's not surprising that the Guilds went to such lengths to protect the property over the years.

They "were wonderful supporters of all things Westport," said Ross Moran, the executive director of the Westport Land Conservation Trust.

Moran had many conversations with the couple over the years, and said Monday that he was always struck by their love of the town and their strong interest in preserving its unique charm and heritage.

"They believed in preservation, and they thought it was really important to maintain the character of the town," he said. The mill is "a huge part of the town's heritage, and they just had a really strong sense of community more than anything; that's why they continued to do everything they could to keep the mill going."

Recently, employees of the mill put up a plaque in honor of the Guilds; it reads in part:

"Ralph got incredible joy giving tours of the mill to visiting families and hoped to preserve the mill forever. God bless you Ralph Guild — may your Johnny Cakes have heaps of maple syrup with plenty of melted butter well into eternity. You earned it."

In a Facebook post last week, Whitley followed up:

Guild "understood the historical significance of the mill and milling in general," he wrote. "Some thought it was a foolish hobby, but Ralph knew this: No farms, no food. No mills, no cities, no civilization."

"The Town of Westport could never repay him for what he has done. God bless you, Ralph!"