'Tis the Season for Lights and Hook Mill Just May Twinkle

For those who look forward to seeing East Hampton Village lit up for Christmas, consider this an early present: Last restoration efforts on the historic Hook Mill have been ramped up in order to decorate the mill just in time for St. Nick to ride into the village on his sleigh.

Thanks to some volunteers and some extra hard work, the mill's sails could go back up just in time to light them before the holiday, according to East Hampton Village Administrator Larry Cantwell. The lighting is an annual tradition that was missed last year due to the extensive restoration project, although a minature replica, made for the village's 350th anniversary celebration in 1998, was placed in front of it and lit up in its place. 

Cantwell said all of the structural work on the mill, in the center of the village, was completed by restoration contractor Richard Baxter in early November. As the project to repair rotted cornerstones neared completion, the 200 year old mill was lowered off steel beams and back onto its base in late September.

The project has taken 17 months, longer than initially expected, and approximately $200,000.

In the past few weeks, the department of public works staff has been working every day to reinstall various parts of the interior of the mill including reassembling the interior flooring, Cantwell said. This was work originally planned to be done in-house, he added.

Cantwell said that local contractor John Hummel has volunteered to donate his company's services to re-shingle the exterior of the mill with the village providing the materials. "This is expected to begin early next week and take about a week to finish weather permitting," Cantwell said.

The village is in the process of hiring crane equipment in order to re-install the supports so the sails can be re-installed when the shingling is finished, he said. "The village’s goal is to complete this in time to light the mill before Christmas."