Boyd's Windmill
Boyd's Windmill, also known as Boyd's Wind Grist Mill, is a historic smock mill at Paradise Valley Park on Prospect Avenue in Middletown, Rhode Island.
A museum inside Middletown
You can stay in Middletown
Boyd's Windmill is inside Middletown, which has 26 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Boston
Boston is about 59 miles north (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct
May, June, July, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 63–81°. When to go ↓
An airport 2 miles away
Newport State (NPT) has airline service, about 2 miles from Boyd's Windmill.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Middletown. Green months are the mild ones.
Boyd's Windmill
Boyd's Windmill, also known as Boyd's Wind Grist Mill, is a historic smock mill at Paradise Valley Park on Prospect Avenue in Middletown, Rhode Island. John Peterson built the windmill at the corner of Mill Lane and West Main Rd. in Portsmouth, Rhode Island in 1810, and William Boyd purchased it in 1815. It originally had four common sails, but four more were added by the family. The mill is a timber-frame structure, octagonal in shape, and about 30 feet (9.1 m) tall, with a rotating cap powered by eight vanes with canvas sheets. The grindstones in the middle of the mill are Fall River granite; the upper one, which is connected to the power mechanisms, rotates six times for each turn of the mill's main shaft. In 1916 Benjamin Boyd removed the original vanes and powered the mill using a gasoline engine.
- Type
- Museum
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (2001)
Where to stay near Boyd's Windmill
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Middletown (26) and Newport (99).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Boyd's Windmill | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middletown | in town | — | 26 22 hotels · 1 motel · 3 inns & B&Bs | 16,502 | $563K | B+ |
| Newport | 3 mi west | 5 min | 99 32 hotels · 2 motels · 61 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 24,251 | $747K | C+ |
| Jamestown | 5 mi west | 10 min | 7 3 hotels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground | 5,480 | $842K | A |
| Narragansett 32% vacation homes | 13 mi southwest | 20 min | 17 7 hotels · 2 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 14,291 | $744K | A |
| Warwick | 16 mi northwest | 25 min | 21 17 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 84,187 | $355K | B |
| South Kingstown | 16 mi southwest | 25 min | 20 4 hotels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 7 campgrounds | 32,009 | $560K | A |
| Portsmouth | 10 mi north | 15 min | 8 1 hotel · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 17,474 | $597K | A |
| North Kingstown | 11 mi northwest | 15 min | 8 3 hotels · 2 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 27,885 | $544K | A− |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Boyd's Windmill
Other well-known places within 60 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw13 mi MuseumThe Breakers
28 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
33 mi MuseumMarble House
Big draw41 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
43 mi MuseumThe Elms
515 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
Big draw59 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw48 mi LakeLake ChaubunagungamaugPhoto credits
The Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain · Marble House: [email protected], Public domain · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Elms: The original uploader was Daderot at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Visiting Boyd's Windmill
Is Boyd's Windmill in Middletown?
Yes. It’s inside Middletown, RI.
When is the best time to visit Boyd's Windmill?
May, June, July, August, September and October, with highs of 63–81°.
How far is Boyd's Windmill from Boston and Brookhaven?
About 59 miles north of Boston and about 98 miles southwest of Brookhaven, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Boyd's Windmill?
Newport State (NPT), about 2 miles away. The nearest big hub is Rhode Island T. F. Green (PVD), about 17 miles.
Where should I stay near Boyd's Windmill?
Newport (3 mi, 99 places to stay), Middletown (in town, 26 places to stay) and Jamestown (5 mi, 7 places to stay).
Tips from people in Middletown
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Middletown’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.