Photo: Swampyank, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Along the Queen’s River in the village of Usquepaugh, on the line between South Kingstown and Richmond, Kenyon’s Grist Mill has been grinding corn and grain for well over a century. The current mill building dates to 1886, and milling at the site goes back further.
The mill uses large granite millstones that turn slowly, which keeps the meal cool and keeps its flavor.
White cap flint corn
Kenyon’s is best known for johnnycake meal, made from Rhode Island white cap flint corn, an old variety grown in the state for centuries. Johnnycakes, a thin cornmeal pancake, are a Rhode Island tradition, and there are long-running debates about whether to make them thick or thin.
The mill also sells pancake mixes, flours and baking mixes, both in its shop and through stores across New England.
A working landmark
The mill runs events through the year, and its fall Johnny Cake Festival drew crowds for many years. Visitors can tour the mill and watch the stones turn.
It is one of the few working stone grist mills left in New England and a regular stop for people exploring the back roads of Washington County.
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