My mum worked at the GM when the last fire consumed the building. It started on a cold day in October when the owner lite a fire in the fireplace. As everyone fled the building the owner asked everyone to grab an antique as they left the building.

Have fond memories of dining there with my late in-laws...was their favorite place...hope everything turns out ok for all involved..

We had my Mother-in-laws 70 birthday party there. Invited 70 people from around the country to attend, and they all came. Rented the back room, up the stairs. Two weeks later she passed away from cancer unexpectedly. It was a night she, us, and all her friends will remember forever. We will miss the old Grist Mill!!!

We were going to take our 13 yr.old son there for the first time to celebrate his moving from middle school to high. this is so sad.

Although we no longer live in Seekonk, we frequently visit our family their. The Grist Mill holds many fond memories for us including our daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner. It is a true landmark , especially for giving out-of-towers directions.

I uploaded the press conference from Capt. Healey. There is a lot going on at the property, so some of it is difficult to hear. I just spoke with a woman who worked there in 1949. I'll have her thoughts on the destruction of this landmark soon.

Many lovely moments spent at the Grist mill. The ambience was like no other & the food & drinks were so good. I lived in Seekonk most of my life & we always gathered there. It's such a part of my family i don't know of anywhere that can fill the void. I hope they rebuild like they did the last time.

I took my wife there on our "first date" 24 years ago. Although we now live in Naples, we would always go there when we were back in town. Sad, such a beautiful place with beautiful memories.

Great food & drinks over the years, awesome place for an office party. Thinking back also brings thoughts of all the accidents at that location. Now would be a great time to get the State to fix that intersection.

Happy to have gotten to have a meal there.. was hoping to go back. What a shame.

Spent many a Sunday dinner there with my Dad and brother when we were way younger. Was always proud to recommend this fine establishment to people looking for some where great to eat in town. Saddened to hear of its destruction. It will be missed.

I grew up there, fishing and skating on the pond. We had many family dinners there and always left with bread for the Ducks and Swans. My dad had his Antique Store and Auction Gallery in the Large Building on the Pond. I was there every day after school as a child and enjoyed going back as an adult to relive those great memories. it must be rebuilt.

I have uploaded more photos and a video. It appears, as with the Mill Fire, there was a struggle to get the gas turned off. Local leaders are not happy. Look for more on this soon.

It is really sad to see this go. Hopefully, the owners will rebuild it. Unfortunately, it will never be the same.......this is truly a passage.

Fortunate that it did not happen on a Sunday afternoon when there could have been a lot of people inside.

I am so sorry this has happened. It is one of my favorite places to eat. I hope it will reopen soon!

My husband and I just returned from the Grist Mill this evening. What an awful sight. One of he most beautiful places has been reduced to rubble. Everyone I overheard kept saying "They have to rebuild". I so hope so. It is just heartbreaking to see it now.

I remember going to lunch there with my dad!! So sad.

I had my retirement party and my mother's 90 th birthday celebration there.
I hope they rebuild it exactly like it was.
So sad.

The three photos taken by Robert Amaral were incorrectly credited to Bill Rupp and me. I have made the correction. Two were credited to Bill Rupp because I thought he had taken them. The one credited to me was because I made an error changing the photo credit option while I was running around today covering the fire. I received an email from a reader deeply concerned that I was attempting to take credit for photos I did not take. I assure everybody that I would prefer my byline appear on here less, not more.

And thanks to Robert Amaral for taking great photos of this unfortunate incident and contributing them to Patch.

My first dates with my spouse were at the Grist Mill and we frequented it often throughout the years. The bar was so great to meet and have drinks and talk and you could just picture a bygone time when folks would have ridden up to the GM on their horses. And the ducks and swans provided such an ambiance not available anywhere else. It will be missed. I hope it is rebuilt so that the one prominent thing the fire did not consume - the Grist Mill sign - can proudly be hung once more.

Sad, but the first time it was destroyed by fire. Last time I believe it started in the kitchen during the night - after closing time. Maybe late 60's or early 70's.

Supposed to say - NOT ... the first time it was destroyed by fire!

There have been many accidents there . My father was a Seekonk cop, Station 3 fireman, and photographer for the town I remember him going to the Grist Mill corner photographing, directing traffic and helping to control a resulting car fire. I think I was too young to go there with Station # when it burned down last.

I am holding in my hand a copy of the "Seekonk Sentinel" , later renamed The Seekonk Star, dated August 23, 1972 . On page 15 there is an article about the intersection in front of the Grist Mill. It states that something must be done, as this is one of the most dangerous intersections in Seekonk.

Now that the Grist Mill is a burned mess, everyone is slowing down to gawk at the carnage. The intersection is much more safe now with cops hanging around keeping looters at bay. We can wait another 40yrs!

I can hardly wait to read a report.
The discussion following this event is similar to that which followed tropical storm Irene. Lot's of finger pointing. The difference here is there was no "act of God". Or was there? As has been pointed out, we should be thanking God the building was unoccupied.

Just for the record, the truck was owned by W.E. Pray, not DF Pray. Two totally different companies.Good to know what you're talking about before disparaging a company that had no involvement........

According to the DPW, the state will begin working on the intersection in 2014 and the work will take a full year. It will be interesting to see how traffic will be re-routed to accommodate the construction. Meanwhile, we can anticipate 30-40 crashes each year until the work is started. Are there things we can do meanwhile to try to ensure greater safety? Frankly, I would detour all but local traffic on the section of Arcade between Route 44 and Fall River Ave. I always go west on Route 44 to the traffic light down by Price Rite and turn left onto Fall River Ave. to avoid the nightmare at the Arcade, Mill, Fall River Avenue intersection. The state controls Fall River Ave. but it doesn't control Arcade and Mill. Can the town take some interim initiative(s) to reduce crashes at that location? I know the fire department didn't like my suggestion years ago to make that section of Arcade one way going from Fall River Ave. to Taunton Ave. But restricting to local traffic, police and fire vehicles would seemingly make it safer.

This whole story is bananas!

Bottom line, everyone needs to get a bigger message, NO ONE was killed, the truck driver was injured, but maybe finally something will be done (2014 is a long way off) about this "intersection" or really, mess of roads coming together. To me there is no irony in the obvious, I'm with the person above "act of God" 6am instead of 6pm, etc. and the company's name is W.E. Pray, hello "we pray"!! We better pray that anyone and everyone, be they drivers on the roads, politicians, engineers, and citizens to support taking the whole situation to task and every domino that fell into account and hold them accountable to do better at what they do, this is a major disaster averted. So "we pray" this time, maybe all people will get the message, whether you believe or not, doesn't matter. Thank everyone who risked their lives and safety to help and clean up, those who are already or sought to do the right thing(s) before this accident happened, and those who will fight for positive changes be they large, small and a lot faster than 2014, you know, safety and common sense in the meantime, put up the traffic lights now, blockade the middle portion of Mill Road with Jersey barriers now, these are not difficult things to do until the big, full changes are made and they will save lives!!