Every day, thousands of commuters making their way in and out of Boston pass within 200 feet of the historic Souther tide mill site next to the Southern Artery (Route 3A) in Quincy, Mass. What had started as Ebenezer Thayer’s tide-powered grist mill about 1806 passed to John Souther in 1815 and became a grist mill and a saw mill. The site also had a shipyard, a wharf and a canal lock. Steam power and the railroad brought the end of the grist mill business shortly after the Civil War, but the sawmill continued operating until much later.
The only building remaining on the site today was mostly constructed in and after 1854 to repair and augment the fire-damaged but partially surviving 1806 grist mill. Thanks to efforts by the nonprofit Friends of Souther Tide Mill, the building has been partially restored and may someday open as a working grist mill and museum.
John Goff, an historic preservation professional and co-founder of the Tide Mill Institute, wrote two comprehensive studies and reports between ca. 1991 and 1995, which formed the basis of this edited paper. John’s paper traces the history of the site and buildings, and it explains how tidal flow powered milling and sawing machinery at the site.
For additional Souther Mill history and information about supporting Friends of Souther Tide Mill, visit southertidemill.org.
