The Grist Mill, formerly The Reading Room, one of the most picturesque dining spots in the state, is serving its last meal tonight. The Grist Mill is moving to Avon and the toney Miss Porter’s School is purchasing the property.
A 1950- something alum of the nearby exclusive girl’s school has donated the estimated$1.2 million needed to purchase the property from the Zaco family that owns the building, according to a school source. Several hundreds of thousands of dollars need to be secured to rehab and renovate the historic riverside place that also contains The Millrace Bookstore.
Anthony Giraulo, who owns the restaurant , said his new location in space formerly occupied by Carmen Anthony’s, which also closes today, will open in the next two weeks.
And those ducks that lived by the river and were incubated and raised by the Giraulo family? The Giraulos have a call out to several farms with ponds to make sure their ‘pets’ have an easy transition.
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One Response to Grist Mill Serving Last Dinner, Miss Porter’s Buying Building
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It is my sincerest hope that Miss Porters School retains the Mill Race Bookstore and provides the existing space with a restaurant open to the public. It is a great loss to Famington to see the present Grist Mill Restaurant move from its location. My Aunt Helen Winter purchased the Mill for use as an antique store and her sister, June Chapman was a partner in The Millrace Bookstore.
The new ownership means the possible loss of the public use of a historical scenic building and river front,jobs,and tax revenue. While I much appreciate the excellent maintenance and ambiance of Miss Porter’s historic buildings I hope that the Mill does not become just a place for the exclusive use of the school.