Water Mill, NY — Crash Data, Roads, History & Law
Water Mill is an unincorporated hamlet in the Town of Southampton, Suffolk County, New York, with 2,506 residents at the 2020 Census. Federal crash records show 7 fatal crashes that killed 7 people within its boundaries from 2010 through 2024 — 2 of them on foot. Montauk Highway (NY 27) accounted for more of those deaths (2) than any other road. Residents who commute travel an average of 18.6 minutes each way.
Long Island Town Fact Book · Updated · Sources & method
Water Mill at a glance
- Status
- Hamlet (unincorporated; census-designated place)
- Town
- Southampton
- County
- Suffolk County
- Population (2020 Census)
- 2,506[C]
- Housing units (2020)
- 2,125
- Land area
- 10.58 sq mi (plus 2.21 sq mi of water)
- Density
- 237 people per sq mi
- Average commute
- 18.6 minutes[B]
- Traffic deaths, 2010–2024
- 7[A]
- ZIP Code
- 11976
- Founded / settled
- Edward Howell, described by the Water Mill Museum as the wealthiest citizen of the new Southampton colony and its magistrate, received 40 acres on a pond three miles from Southampton to build his mill; oral history places the original mill, probably grinding by 1644, several hundred yards north of the mill building that stands today.[1]
- Legal status
- Unincorporated hamlet of the Town of Southampton; tabulated by the Census Bureau as the Water Mill CDP[8]
- The Water Mill
- Original mill probably grinding by 1644; moved to its present site on Mill Creek under town permissions granted in 1726 and 1790; the present mill building dates to the 18th century[1][4]
- Corwith Windmill
- Moved to the Water Mill Commons in 1813 from Hog's Neck (today North Haven); ceased grinding in 1887; restored to working order in 1987; described by the Museum as the smallest and second-oldest of 11 surviving South Fork windmills[6]
- 1938 hurricane
- A 15-foot storm surge on September 21, 1938 flooded the mill to its main floor, blew the cap off the Corwith Windmill, destroyed the Water Mill School belfry, and washed out the railroad tracks at Scuttle Hole Road[5]
- Police
- Southampton Town Police Department (headquartered in Hampton Bays)[9]
- Court
- Southampton Town Justice Court (clerk's window in Hampton Bays)[10]
- Hospital
- Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, 240 Meeting House Lane, Southampton[12]
- Census geography
- Water Mill CDP · GEOID 3678575 · GNIS 2390459
- Coordinates
- 40.9224°N, 72.3507°W
Hamlets in New York have no legal boundary or government of their own. Figures here use the Census Bureau's census-designated place, the standard statistical outline for the community; local usage of the name can be wider or narrower.
Name:Named for the water-powered grist mill built at the site by Edward Howell after he arrived at Southampton in 1640 with English colonists from Lynn, Massachusetts; the Water Mill Museum's own account says the mill was "probably grinding by 1644."[1]
Fatal crashes in Water Mill, 2010–2024
From January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2024, 7 people died in 7 crashes on public roads inside Water Mill, according to the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System.[A] Pedestrians account for 2 of those deaths (29%). The deadliest year was 2014, with 2 deaths.
- Fatal crashes
- 7
- People killed
- 7
- Pedestrians
- 2
- Bicyclists
- 0
- Motorcyclists
- 1
- Vehicle occupants
- 4
2024 figures come from NHTSA's Annual Report File and may be revised.
View the chart as a table
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 | 2 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 |
Roads where people died
| Road | Crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Montauk Highway (NY 27) | 2 | 2 |
| Flying Point Rd | 2 | 2 |
| Deerfield Rd | 1 | 1 |
| Blank Ln | 1 | 1 |
| Rose Hill Rd | 1 | 1 |
Road names as recorded by police and normalised to common Long Island names.
When and where
- Of the 7 crashes with a recorded time, 2 happened between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., 1 between 4 and 8 p.m., 3 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and 1 between 6 and 10 a.m.
- 29% happened in darkness.
- 0 of the 7 deaths were on expressways or parkways; 7 were on arterials and local streets.
Who owns the roads where they happened (2015–2024)
FARS has recorded the owner of the roadway since 2015. Of the 4 fatal crashes in Water Mill since then:
- Town roads 2 (50%)
- State highways 2 (50%)
Ownership matters in New York because claims against a county, town, city or village generally require a notice of claim within 90 days (General Municipal Law § 50-e), while claims against the State are brought in the Court of Claims under Court of Claims Act § 10. This is general information, not legal advice.
Rate: 18.6 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year, against 9.1 for Suffolk County. This is a resident-based rate, not a measure of how risky the roads are to drive: crashes are counted where they happen, not where the people involved live, so a small community crossed by a major highway shows a high rate. With 2,506 residents, a single crash moves Water Mill's rate substantially.
Every fatal crash on record
| Date | Time | Road | Deaths | Who died | Light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 p.m. | Deerfield Rd | 1 | Motorcyclist | daylight | |
| 12 p.m. | Montauk Highway (NY 27) | 1 | Vehicle occupant | daylight | |
| 4 p.m. | Flying Point Rd at Luther Dr | 1 | Vehicle occupant | dark | |
| 6 a.m. | Montauk Highway (NY 27) | 1 | Vehicle occupant | dawn | |
| 10 a.m. | Blank Ln | 1 | Pedestrian | daylight | |
| 2 a.m. | Flying Point Rd | 1 | Vehicle occupant | dark | |
| 8 p.m. | Rose Hill Rd | 1 | Pedestrian | dusk |
FARS contains no names or personal identifiers. * 2024 records are preliminary. Download all 7 records (CSV) · How this was compiled
Recent Water Mill Incident Reports
Middle Island Man Charged With DWI After Crashing Into Utility Pole on Schwenks Road in Water Mill
Southampton Town Police announced Sunday that a 22-year-old Middle Island man was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated after a single-vehicle crash involving a utility pole on Schwenks Road in Water Mill. No injuries were reported in the crash.
Pedestrian Fatally Struck in Water Mill Car Crash, Investigation Ongoing
Pedestrian Fatally Struck in Water Mill Car Crash, Investigation Ongoing. July 24, 2026.
Easthampton Man Charged with DWI After Fleeing Water Mill Crash
Easthampton Man Charged with DWI After Fleeing Water Mill Crash. April 18, 2026.
Updated continuously from 511NY, NYSP, NCPD, and SCPD feeds — all Long Island reports.
All reported crashes in the Town of Southampton, 2021–2024
New York's crash file codes each crash to a town, city or village — never to a hamlet — so the finest official count that covers Water Mill is for the Town of Southampton, which contains it. Police reported 9,585 crashes there from 2021 through 2024 — about 6.6 a day. 2,049 (21.4%) injured someone and 31 were fatal. [D]
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,240 | 2,292 | 2,458 | 2,595 | 9,585 |
- Injury crashes
- 2,049
- Fatal crashes
- 31
- Struck a pedestrian
- 84
- Struck a bicyclist
- 90
- Struck a deer
- 526
Deer collisions are 5.5% of all reported crashes here. Counts are crashes, not people. The municipality is entered by the reporting police agency, and coding is less consistent for small villages, so compare places with care.
How Water Mill gets to work
Water Mill commuters travel an average of 18.6 minutes each way, 12.5 minutes shorter than the Suffolk County average (the national average is 26.4 minutes). About 48.8% of workers drive alone. [B]
| Measure | Water Mill | Suffolk County | New York State | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average one-way commute | 18.6 min ±7.2 | 31.1 min | 32.6 min | 26.4 min |
| Commute 60 minutes or longer | 7.9% ±5.6 † | 14.1% | 16.8% | 8.6% |
| Commute under 15 minutes | 58.9% ±12.5 | 22.8% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Drive alone | 48.8% ±17.4 | 72.1% | 48.8% | 68.8% |
| Carpool | 0% ±1 † | 7.5% | 6.3% | 8.5% |
| Commuter rail (LIRR) | 0% ±1 † | 3.2% | 1.8% | 0.3% |
| Bus | 0% ±1 † | 0.6% | 5.1% | 1.5% |
| Walk | 6.7% ±4.6 † | 1.4% | 5.6% | 2.4% |
| Work from home | 37.5% ±19.8 † | 12% | 14.9% | 15.1% |
| Leave home before 6 a.m. | 4.2% ±3.6 † | 12% | 10.6% | 14.4% |
| Households with no vehicle | 11.5% ±17 † | 5.1% | 29.2% | 8.4% |
| Households with three or more vehicles | 26.8% ±7.8 | 28.8% | 11.8% | 21.9% |
Survey estimates for 1,473 workers aged 16 and over; ± values are 90% margins of error. † Small sample — the margin of error is large relative to the estimate, so treat the figure as indicative only. Travel-time rows exclude people who work from home.
Notable facts about Water Mill
- Water Mill's namesake grist mill was, per oral history recorded by the Water Mill Museum, "probably grinding by 1644," a few hundred yards north of the mill building that stands today.[1]
- The Corwith Windmill was moved to the Water Mill Commons by ox teams in 1813 from Hog's Neck, an area now known as North Haven.[6]
- The Water Mill Museum calls the Corwith Windmill the smallest, and second-oldest, of 11 surviving windmills on the South Fork of Long Island.[6]
- The September 21, 1938 hurricane raised the water inside the Water Mill to its main floor and blew the cap off the nearby Corwith Windmill.[5]
- The 1938 storm's surge also washed out the Long Island Rail Road's tracks at Scuttle Hole Road in Water Mill.[5]
- After falling into disuse by the early 1900s, Water Mill's historic grist mill was restored well enough to grind grain again in 1976, following restoration work that began in 1968.[3]
History
Water Mill takes its name from the water-powered grist mill built there by Edward Howell, who arrived at Southampton in 1640 with English colonists from Lynn, Massachusetts, and had previously owned a water mill on a pond in Lynn.[1] The Water Mill Museum, which now occupies the mill building, describes Howell as "the wealthiest citizen of the new colony and its magistrate," who secured 40 acres on a pond three miles from Southampton along with town labor and money for his project; millstones were hewn from boulders found in the local moraine.[1] Oral history places this original mill, probably grinding by 1644, several hundred yards north of the mill's current site on Mill Creek.[1] In 1726, and again in 1790, the town granted permission to move the mill south to a combination dam and roadway at its present location; the Museum says it is uncertain whether the mill was moved intact or rebuilt from parts, though rebuilding is considered more likely, which reconciles the mill's 1644 origin with its present building's construction "back to the 18th century."[1][4]
The mill changed hands repeatedly: William Ludlam Sr. owned it by 1653 and it stayed in his family for more than a century, followed by owners including Elias Petty, William Foster, Hugh Smith, Jesse Hedges and John White, who used its water power to weave and full cloth and to manufacture paper.[2] John Benedict, a fuller, dyer and dresser of cloth, came to work at the mill in 1819 and acquired ownership by 1833; his family used the building through the 1800s for fulling wool, dyeing, spinning, weaving and milling grain.[3] By the early 1900s the mill had fallen into disuse. The Ladies Auxiliary of Water Mill began leasing and repairing it in 1921, acquired ownership about twenty-one years later, began restoring it as a museum in 1968, and by 1976, after years of research, fund-raising and reconstruction, had the historic mill grinding again.[3]
A second historic mill stands nearby: in 1813 James Corwith bought a windmill built around 1800 at Hog's Neck (present-day North Haven) and had it moved by ox teams to the Water Mill Commons, replacing a windmill destroyed in an 1811 Christmas storm.[6] The Corwith Windmill grew a general store business under Samuel Corwith after 1868 but ceased grinding in 1887; ownership passed through the Corwith, Lombard/Ayres and Order of St. Dominic families before the mill and its common ground were given to the Water Mill Village Improvement Association in 1934, and the community restored it to working order in 1987.[6] The Museum describes it as "the smallest, and second oldest, of 11 surviving windmills on the South Fork of Long Island," a region it calls home to "the largest regional group of windmills in America."[6]
Government, courts and policing
As an unincorporated hamlet of the Town of Southampton, Water Mill has no government of its own. It is policed by the Southampton Town Police Department, whose headquarters sit in the neighboring hamlet of Hampton Bays, and its residents' criminal, civil, traffic and parking matters go to the Town of Southampton Justice Court, whose clerk's window is likewise in Hampton Bays.[9][10]
The 1938 hurricane
Water Mill has recorded storm damage going back to at least September 20, 1815, when local resident Daniel Hildreth wrote in his diary that "the sea rose so high it swept down all most every bank the length of the island" and drove water into the Mill Pond.[5] The community's most destructive storm came on September 21, 1938, after what the Museum describes as a 69-year lull following a cluster of storms between 1821 and 1869.[5] A roughly 15-foot storm surge pushed north across Mecox Bay and up Mill Creek into Mill Pond, raising the water inside the mill — now the Water Mill Museum — to its main floor; one of the beach's two summer houses was destroyed, its fishing shanties were demolished, a beach club was leveled, the Cobb Isle and Channel Pond bridges were dislocated, the cap was blown off the Corwith Windmill, the Water Mill School's belfry was destroyed, and the railroad tracks at Scuttle Hole Road washed out.[5] The Museum reports 29 deaths in surrounding communities and more than 500 across New England, but none in Water Mill itself.[5]
Landmarks and listed places
- The Water Mill (Water Mill Museum) — Working water-powered grist mill dating in its present form to the 18th century, on a site the Museum's own history traces to a mill probably grinding by 1644; described by the Museum as one of the oldest commercial buildings on Long Island. No National Register listing was independently confirmed.[1][4]
- Corwith Windmill — Relocated to the Water Mill Commons in 1813; restored to working order in 1987; described by the Water Mill Museum as the smallest and second-oldest of 11 surviving windmills on the South Fork of Long Island. No National Register listing was independently confirmed.[6]
Water Mill timeline
- Howell arrives at Southampton. Edward Howell arrived at Southampton with English colonists from Lynn, Massachusetts, having previously owned a water mill on a pond in Lynn.[1]
- Mill probably grinding. Oral history recorded by the Water Mill Museum places the original mill, built several hundred yards north of the present building, as probably grinding grain by this year.[1]
- First recorded mill owner. William Ludlam Sr. owned the mill by this date; it stayed in his family for more than a century.[2]
- First move authorized. The Town of Southampton granted permission to move the mill south and build a combination dam and roadway at its present location.[1]
- Second move authorization. The town again granted permission for the mill's relocation to its present site.[1]
- Corwith Windmill relocated. James Corwith purchased a windmill from Hog's Neck (now North Haven) and had it moved to the Water Mill Commons, replacing a mill destroyed in an 1811 Christmas storm.[6]
- Recorded storm. A diary kept by Daniel Hildreth of Seven Ponds Road described a storm in which "the sea rose so high it swept down all most every bank the length of the island" and drove water into the Mill Pond.[5]
- Benedict family arrives. John Benedict came to Water Mill to work at the mill as a fuller, dyer and dresser of cloth.[3]
- Benedict acquires the mill. John Benedict acquired ownership of the water mill.[3]
- Corwith Windmill passes to Samuel Corwith. At James Corwith's death, his son Samuel bought out his four brothers and took over as miller.[6]
- Corwith Windmill stops grinding. The Corwith Windmill ceased operating, in part, the Museum says, because a new Queen Anne summer villa cut off the prevailing wind.[6]
- Water Mill's restoration begins. The Ladies Auxiliary of Water Mill began annually leasing the disused water mill building and making repairs.[3]
- Windmill given to the community. The Order of St. Dominic gave the Corwith Windmill and its common ground to the Water Mill Village Improvement Association.[6]
- 1938 hurricane. A storm surge of about 15 feet flooded Mill Creek to the water mill's main floor, blew the cap off the Corwith Windmill, destroyed the Water Mill School's belfry and washed out the railroad tracks at Scuttle Hole Road.[5]
- Museum restoration begins. Restoration of the water mill as a museum began, after the Ladies Auxiliary acquired ownership roughly two decades earlier.[3]
- Mill grinds again. After years of research, fund-raising and reconstruction, the historic water-powered grist mill was grinding again.[3]
- Windmill restored. The community restored the Corwith Windmill to working order.[6]
Major roads in Water Mill
| Road | Route | Maintained by | In Water Mill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scuttle Hole Road [5] | — | — | north-south road; ran alongside a Long Island Rail Road line whose tracks were washed out there in the 1938 hurricane |
Emergency Resources
Hospitals
- Stony Brook Southampton Hospital — 240 Meeting House Lane, Southampton, NY 11968 — (631) 726-8200
Police
- Southampton Town Police Department — 110 Old Riverhead Road, Hampton Bays, NY 11946 — (631) 728-5000 (Town-wide agency covering Water Mill; headquartered in the neighboring hamlet of Hampton Bays. Emergencies: 911.)
Courts
- Southampton Town Justice Court — 32 Jackson Ave., Hampton Bays, NY 11946 — (631) 702-2990 (Handles criminal, civil, traffic and parking matters for the entire Town of Southampton, including Water Mill.)
Local Driver Services in Water Mill
Practical resources for Water Mill drivers — tire shops, gas prices, and live traffic conditions.
Safety Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do after a car accident in Water Mill, NY?
Move to safety and call 911 immediately, then document the scene with photos and exchange insurance and contact information with everyone involved. File a police report with SCPD and notify your insurer promptly. New York is a no-fault state, so your own PIP coverage pays initial medical costs regardless of fault, and you have just 30 days to file the NF-2 application.
Which roads are most dangerous in Water Mill?
Montauk Highway and Scuttle Hole Road carry the heaviest traffic through Water Mill and account for most of the reported crashes we track. Montauk Highway through the Water Mill center, with seasonal Hamptons congestion past the windmill. Commercial driveways, signalized intersections, and turning movements along these corridors drive the local crash mix.
How current are these Water Mill accident reports?
Long Island Traffic adds new reports every 2–4 hours from 511NY, NYS Police Troop L, SCPD, and verified local news. Scroll up for the latest Water Mill and Suffolk County incidents, and check the "Dangerous Roads" section for corridor-level breakdowns.
Do I need a lawyer after a Water Mill accident?
If you suffered serious injuries, significant property damage, or the other driver was uninsured, consulting a Suffolk County personal injury attorney is strongly recommended. Many firms offer free consultations and work on contingency. See our free guides at /know-your-rights/car-accidents/ and /know-your-rights/insurance-claims/.
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Data: machine-readable fact sheet (JSON) · fatal-crash records (CSV) · methodology and limits
References
Datasets
- [A] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2010–2024 national files. Retrieved September 17, 2026.Crashes on public trafficways in which a person died within 30 days. No personal identifiers. Placed by reported coordinates into 2020 Census boundaries.
- [B] U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, tables B08303, B08013, B08301, B08302, B08201, B19013, B01002. Retrieved September 17, 2026.Survey estimates with 90% margins of error. lowReliability = coefficient of variation above 30%.
- [C] U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb — 2020 Census tabulation geography (POP100, HU100, AREALAND). Retrieved September 17, 2026.
- [D] New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Vehicle Crashes — Case Information: Four Year Window. Retrieved September 17, 2026.Police-reported crashes coded to a town, city or village by the reporting agency. Hamlets are not coded; hamlet pages show the parent town.
Sources for history, roads and law
- [1] Water Mill Museum. History of the Water Mill (2026). Museum.
- [2] Water Mill Museum. History of the Water Mill (ownership chain) (2026). Museum.
- [3] Water Mill Museum. History of the Water Mill (Benedict family and restoration) (2026). Museum.
- [4] Water Mill Museum. About Our Museum (2026). Museum.
- [5] Water Mill Museum. Hurricanes in Water Mill (2026). Museum.
- [6] Water Mill Museum. History of the Corwith Windmill (2026). Museum.
- [8] U.S. Census Bureau. 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Places, New York (2020). Government record.
- [9] Town of Southampton. Police (2026). Government record.
- [10] Town of Southampton. Justice Court (2026). Government record.
- [12] Stony Brook Medicine. Stony Brook Southampton Hospital (home page) (2026). Academic.
Sources opened and checked September 17, 2026.