According to Morrison's "History of Windham", Simpson's mill was constructed by Joseph Simpson between 1788 and 1789. Although Simpson was the proprietor of the mill, who was also the mill's namesake, the business was originally owned by a consortium of shareholders. Joseph was known for being a "fine carpenter and millwright." Situated on Simpson's Pond (now Moeckel Pond), the mill would have been patronized by customers from both Windham and Pelham. No more than a few years prior to 1883, when Morrison published his monumental tome on the town's history, Thomas W. Simpson was operating the mill as both a gristmill and sawmill. There was also a planing and shingle mill attached for the purpose of finishing roughly cut lumber for building material. According to "A Brief History of Moeckel Pond" (published on www.moeckelpond.com), Thomas Simpson was of no direct relation to the original builder of the mill, Joseph Simpson. While there were numerous owners of the property during the nineteenth century, Thomas Simpson remained the owner for most of the latter half of the century. Thomas was active in local affairs and served as a selectman and moderator of town meetings for several years.
By the late 1890s the mill had fallen into disrepair. However, according to "Rural Oasis", the mill continued to operate into the early years of the twentieth century and the, "business continued to prosper through the years and had earned the distinction of being one of Windham's oldest establishments when the property was finally sold." In May of 1921, William and Gertrude Moeckel purchased the property. It was their surname from which the pond eventually came to be known by "Moeckel Pond". Within the following decades the mill was essentially destroyed by nature, damage that was only added to by the Hurricane of 1938, which caused widespread damage throughout the region. The dam also sustained damage, and there has been an effort made recently to restore the dam and preserve the historic property.
By the late 1890s the mill had fallen into disrepair. However, according to "Rural Oasis", the mill continued to operate into the early years of the twentieth century and the, "business continued to prosper through the years and had earned the distinction of being one of Windham's oldest establishments when the property was finally sold." In May of 1921, William and Gertrude Moeckel purchased the property. It was their surname from which the pond eventually came to be known by "Moeckel Pond". Within the following decades the mill was essentially destroyed by nature, damage that was only added to by the Hurricane of 1938, which caused widespread damage throughout the region. The dam also sustained damage, and there has been an effort made recently to restore the dam and preserve the historic property.
Simpson's Mill as seen from the top of the dam in 1898