Williamsville Water Mill Complex

The Williamsville Water Mill Complex is a historic industrial site along Ellicott Creek made up of multiple red brick buildings connected by a stone dam and water channels. The system directs water from an upper pond through engineered raceways to different structures, where the force of flowing water once powered machinery in each building.

The site was built in 1801 as a sawmill that used water power to cut timber. Later it shifted to cement production, supplying material for the Erie Canal construction project in the mid-1800s.

The complex displays the architectural style of early industrial workshops with its red brick walls and regular window patterns that reflect 19th-century working life. Visitors can still see the stone channels and trenches that once directed water to power the machinery and the people working inside.

The buildings are located near Spring Street and are now partially open to the public or house businesses. Visitors should view the water systems and stone structures from outside while being mindful of private property areas.

The original water-power infrastructure with stone channels and dam system still functions basically today and shows how early industry used the region's water. This system remains one of the few preserved examples of its kind in the area.