The Mill Pond - West Tisbury

The Mill Pond - West Tisbury With its swans and otters, it is a cultural and historic landmark. Evidence of the Mill Pond appears on maps as early as Colonial times.

The Mill Pond is a critical link in a stream system that begins in Chilmark, meanders down through several man-made impoundments, and ends in a cove of Tisbury Great Pond in West Tisbury. It was fed by the largest stream on the island, the Mill River, which provided power for a grist mill that operated nearby in the late 1600s. The Wampanoag called this area Takemmy, “where anybody goes to grind c

orn,” and the road leading to it from Great Harbour, now known as Edgartown, was called “Mill Path.” There were several mills in the vicinity, and the commerce they generated resulted in the development of the town we now know as West Tisbury. David Look bought the property in 1809 and converted the mill from grain to textile. He installed a carding machine to produce woolen yarn from Vineyard sheep, and looms to weave that yarn into fabrics called kelsey and satinet, which was a water resistant fabric that proved popular for use in whaling and other sea-going outerwear. In need of more power than the river itself could provide, Look installed a dam to raise the pond’s water level. Thomas Bradley bought the property in 1845 and erected a new textile mill which prospered greatly until the 1860s due to satinet’s fame as superior waterproofing, used in Civil War military uniforms. Bradley’s mill building still stands today, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The property was sold to Thomas Campbell in 1874. The Mill Pond was gifted to the town of West Tisbury by Donald Campbell in 1948, to ensure its preservation.

Please note time change
02/13/2025

Please note time change

Deadline for your exhibit entry is February 13. Details here...
01/30/2025

Deadline for your exhibit entry is February 13. Details here...

12/31/2024

CALL FOR ART…WANTED!

Fine Art and Photography of the iconic Mill Pond in West Tisbury.

Do you have a painting, print, sculpture, collage, drawing, photograph or other creative work depicting Mill Pond? If so…you’re invited to be a part of our exhibit. In March 2025, the Friends of Mill Pond in West Tisbury will be launching a month-long community awareness program,“Celebrating Mill Pond: Sustaining Serenity Together.” Free cultural and educational activities will be centered at the West Tisbury Library for engagement and enjoyment by all ages, including an exhibition of artwork and photography—both contemporary and historic.

All artists are welcome to apply.

Email [email protected] with your jpeg image of your art piece(s), including title, dimensions and year of work. Historic and contemporary works are welcome.

Deadline for Entries: Friday, February 7, 2025

Questions? Please contact Avril Espy & Katherine Gagnon
Co-Chairs of the Mill Pond Art Exhibition
[email protected]

12/09/2024

In March 2025, the Friends of Mill Pond in West Tisbury will be launching a month-long community awareness program—"Celebrating the Mill Pond: Sustaining Serenity Together.”
Free cultural and educational activities will be centered at the West Tisbury Library for engagement and enjoyment by all ages, including an exhibition of artwork and photography—both contemporary and historic—reflecting Mill Pond's beauty at the Island's crossroads. An accompanying speaker series will highlight the Pond's indelible impact on Vineyard living as a welcoming gateway and treasured site for personal reflection, natural connection and observation, and family recreation. Please stay tuned for more details in the new year. All artists and photographers are welcome to apply.
A major part of the focus for the event will be a Fine Art and Photography show at the West Tisbury library. Here’s your invitation to participate.

CALL FOR ART—WANTED: Fine Art and Photography of the iconic Mill Pond in West Tisbury. [email protected]
Do you have a painting, print, sculpture, collage, drawing, photograph or other creative work depicting Mill Pond?

Email [email protected] with your jpeg image of your art piece(s), including title, dimensions and year of work. Historic and contemporary works are welcome.
Deadline: Friday, February 7, 2025
Painting by Katherine Gagnon

Questions? Please contact Avril Espy & Katherine Gagnon, Co-Chairs of the Mill Pond Art Exhibition: [email protected].

FRIENDS OF MILL POND MISSION STATEMENT
To raise awareness of the historic and environmental importance of the Mill Brook and Mill Pond, and to promote the preservation of the Pond as an island-wide asset and resource.

11/13/2024

Cutting blocks of ice from Mill Pond, WT.

Lovely day on Mill Pond; a Jen Hawkins O’Hanlon photo.
10/22/2024

Lovely day on Mill Pond; a Jen Hawkins O’Hanlon photo.

Autumn on Mill Pond, before the neglect.
10/18/2024

Autumn on Mill Pond, before the neglect.

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695 West Tisbury-Edgartown Road
West Tisbury, MA
02575

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