Raye’s Mustard Mill is a working museum in the island community of Eastport, Maine, and the last remaining traditional stone-ground mustard mill in North America. The mill was built to supply mustard to the two dozen or so sardine canneries in Eastport and countless others along the coast of Maine. While today, all of Maine’s sardine canneries are gone, Raye’s Mustard Mill survives as a testament to the past.
Each year, thousands of tourists from all 50 states and nations around the world visit the 125-year-old mill to see the production process first-hand, take in some Maine history, and stock up on our one-of-a-kind mustards.
KEEPING OUR HISTORY ALIVE
Raye’s Mustard Mill was built in 1903, and as you can imagine, it needs a little love to keep it up and running where it stands today. Fourth-generation owners Karen and Kevin Raye are committed to maintaining one of the nation’s few intact and operating examples of Second Industrial Revolution manufacturing and a key tourist attraction drawing visitors to Down East Maine.
At an estimated cost of $2 million, the Raye family has envisioned an architectural design that will encompass the existing original production structure within a new building, enhancing the museum and providing visitors with a unique education on the history and authentic and nearly extinct process of traditional stone-ground mustard-making. After construction and renovation, the Museum will be self-supporting through a long-term operating agreement with J.W. Raye & Company, which will continue making mustard on-site using the age-old process.
This plan ensures the mustard-making tradition continues, and preserves jobs and a vital cornerstone of tourism that brings visitors to economically disadvantaged rural Washington County.
Help Us Reach Our Goal
Donations can be mailed to Raye’s Mustard Mill Museum, P.O. Box 207, Eastport, Maine 04631, or made online at www.rayesmustardmillmuseum.org.
Inquiries may be directed to the same address or to info@rayesmustardmillmuseum.org or call us at 207-853-6630.
Gifts will be appropriately acknowledged and recognized by donation level in the new Museum setting. For larger gifts, there will be naming opportunities available about which we will communicate directly with donors.
Thank you for joining this effort to preserve the past and prepare for the future!
