Henry Ford is best known for revolutionizing the automobile industry, but one Massachusetts landmark reveals his fascination with an older kind of American technology.
The Wayside Inn Grist Mill in Sudbury features stone walls, a red waterwheel and a peaceful pond that make it look like a centuries-old New England relic. In reality, Ford commissioned the working mill in the 20th century—and it still uses water power to grind corn and wheat.
Visitors can watch the wheel turn, see the gears transfer power to the grinding stones and explore a site where history remains functional rather than frozen behind glass.
Ford’s Unusual Historical Project
Ford purchased Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Sudbury in 1923. He envisioned transforming roughly 3,000 acres into a living museum dedicated to early American life…