I love searching out and photographing old historic mills in Ontario. Before I moved to Tavistock, Ontario a few months ago, I went online to check out old mills in the area.
About 15 minutes from my house, down Maplewood Sideroad lays the quaint village of Harrington, Ontario. It's hard to miss the Harrington Pond and the old Grist Mill but on my first visit I ended up driving right by. It was the middle of winter and as I turned around to go back my right side wheels went into the ditch.
I now know that the snowplows here push the snow way over and the road looks wider than it really is. Luckily a couple of kind gentlemen came to my rescue and one pulled me out with his 4 wheel drive truck. Once I was out I decided to go straight home and never try a u-turn on a country road in the winter again.
I've since been back to the mill a couple of times. The pond is beautiful with ducks and swans swimming by. There are picnic tables along the river making this a great spot to enjoy a bite to eat while enjoying the scenery.
The Harrington Grist millwas built about 1844 out of hand-hewn pine timbers and topped with a split shingle roof. A fire in 1923 destroyed the original mill but it was rebuilt so the mill basically operated from 1846 - 1966.
The Upper Thames Conservation Authority acquired the property and the mill has been restored by the Harrington Community Club. The original oat roller and running gear remain on display.
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