Greetings from the Plimouth Grist Mill, a working grist mill in Plymouth, Mass. It is a reproduction of the Plymouth Colonists’ original, built in 1636 on Town Brook.

Corn was an important crop to early colonists, so grist mills were essential to grind corn into flour to use for baking.

The original grist mill was built in 1636 by John Jenney, who came from Holland in 1623. Upon his 1644 death, he left it to his wife, Sarah. With her son, Samuel, Sarah ran it until her death. Samuel, eventually sold it in 1683 to Charles Stockbridge, who owned another mill in nearby Scituate.

It was then sold to the Church family, who operated the mill into the 1720s. In the mid-1840s, the entire building was engulfed by a fire.

In 1969, this reconstructed mill was built upon the site of the original, with some parts being salvaged from a 19th century Pennsylvania mill.

It now serves as a museum of sorts, offering hands-on educational and interactive experiences.