Chapin Mill, a 135-acre country property, was donated to the Rochester Zen Center by the late Ralph Chapin, a founding member of the Center, in 1996. Ralph’s vision of the land as a site for meditation practice matched the decades-long dream of the Zen Center to establish a rural retreat center.

The grounds include a spring-fed mill pond and the original grist mill built in 1811. Perennial beds and native plants line many of the walkways, and large meadows provide habitat for migrating species of birds and butterflies. The grounds also feature a swimming area, an orchard, and walking trails through the wooded areas and wetlands.