~ Tour Waters Farm~

In 1888 the Chase Turbine Company of Orange Massachusetts patented an efficient shingle making machine. One of those machines was sold to the Leonard family of Sutton where it went into production for many years.

Long years had passed when David T. Putnam recovered this piece of history lying in a barn cellar. He took it home to his sawmill where it was carefully restored to operational condition. With his John Deere tractor powering a long leather belt, the saw began the cutting of shingles again.

David Theakston Putnam was a true New England Yankee! Born in 1914 at his ancestral home which had been constructed in 1724, he married Ruth Shaw at her family home on Shaw Lane in Sutton in 1937. They had two children Pennie Putnam Linder and David Jonathan Putnam, and many grandchildren. David Putnam’s wife Ruth, daughter Pennie, and grandchildren Joy and Marty continue to volunteer at Waters Farm.

Before he passed away in 1989, David requested that his wife Ruth give the shingle making machine to Waters Farm where it has been in use since 1990. The official dedication of the David T. Putnam Shingle Mill was held on October 6, 1996.

The Shingle Mill is a popular attraction at Fall Farm Days as crowds gather to hear the hum of the saw and see the finished product.

This building is the main heart of the electrical center that then sends power to the barn, blacksmith shop, theater, and stage.

~Continue Your Tour of Waters Farm~