The Maine Humanities Council announced on March 27 the recipients of the second round of major grants to celebrate the state’s bicentennial. Included was a $5,500 grant to the Tide Mill Institute to produce and show a film about Kittery’s tide mill history.
The idea for this project originated at the Tide Mill Institute’s 2019 annual meeting. Informed by research and local knowledge, presentations by Fred Perry, Deane Rykerson and John Viele revealed at least seven and possibly nine historic tide mills in Kittery’s past. The use of tidal water power for milling lumber and grain, while common in early America, is largely forgotten history.
With the goal of informing residents who may be seeing remains of tide mills around them, the project gelled into a grant request for a video presentation to be shown at the Kittery Community Center Star Theater. The video will also be available for viewing at the Rice Public Library and the Kittery Historical and Naval Museum.
The grant team engaged Jim White of Spruce Creek Productions as filmmaker. Jim has previously created documentaries on the history of the Piscataqua River and Claws and Tales, about Kittery lobstering.
The state grant will be matched by cash funds from the Tide Mill Institute, Kennebunk Savings Bank, and Vance and Anne Morgan. In-kind contributions will come from the Kittery Historical and Naval Museum, the Kittery Community Center and Deane Rykerson.
This summer should see tide mill enthusiasts poking around the marshes, filming interviews, and drone photography around Kittery. October 15, 2020, is scheduled for a first showing at the Kittery Community Center.
When the video is completed and released, Tide Mill Institute expects to make it available on its website.
Congratulations are in order!