Van-Wyck Lefferts Tide Mill hires an Executive Director for the first time

The Van-Wyck Lefferts Tide Mill is a not-for-profit organization, established in 2013, with a mission to preserve and protect an 18th century tide mill, located in the Village of Lloyd Harbor, that is the best-preserved tidal grist mill in the United States.  The mill design is based on U.S. Patent No. 3 for an “automatic mill” signed by President George Washington.  

After making extensive repairs to the Mill and the dam at Puppy Cove on which it sits, the Board of Trustees is proud to announce the hiring of its first Executive Director, Claudia Fortunato-Napolitano. 

“Claudia is a great addition to our team of volunteer Board members. Claudia brings a wealth of experience … and will play a pivotal role in fundraising initiatives, exploring new grant opportunities, expanding public awareness, and effectively managing day-to-day operations,” said Richard Hamburger, the President of the Board of Trustees. 

“I am really excited to be a part of the team that is working to preserve and share this incredible historic resource, which is remarkably unchanged from the time when it was in operation and was such a vital part of the local farming community,” said Fortunato-Napolitano. 

Fortunato-Napolitano has more than 20 years of experience working for non-profit organizations.  She is the former Executive Director of the Huntington Historical Society and is currently the Executive Director of the Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association. She has also worked at the Long Island Children’s Museum, the Seaman’s Church Institute, and the Museum of the City of New York.    

Public tours of the Mill are available through the Huntington Historical Society, which operates ten to fifteen tours a year from May through October. Visitors travel to the Mill by boat from Gold Star Battalion Beach in Huntington.  For more information, email [email protected].