Pickwick Mill
Description
The six-story building was constructed from local limestone with a nail-less timber frame and a pitched roof. In 1907 a tornado ripped up the roof and top story, which the operators replaced with a flat plank roof. A more classically accurate pitched roof was restored in recent years. The mill is powered by a 20-foot (6 m) water wheel. Most of the mill's original machinery is still intact and operable.
History
Pickwick Mill was built on the banks of Big Trout Creek by Thomas Grant and Wilson Davis. The mill's official website says it was constructed 1856–58, though other sources give a construction date of 1854. The property's National Register nomination says it was built in 1854 as a grist- and lumber mill and converted to flour production in 1856.
Pickwick Mill is one of the largest mills in Minnesota and was one of the first community businesses in the state. During the American Civil War the mill ran non-stop, churning out 100 barrels of flour a day for the Union Army.
Historic attraction
Pickwick Mill is now managed by Pickwick Mill Inc., a non-profit organization largely funded by grants. It is open for tours from May to October.
See also
- List of museums in Minnesota
- List of watermills in the United States
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Winona County, Minnesota
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Pickwick Mill". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
- ^ Grossman, John (1970-05-11). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Pickwick Mill". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-07-05.
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(help) - ^ "Pickwick Mill". Pickwick Mill Association. 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
- ^ "The Historic Pickwick Mill". Explore Minnesota. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
- ^ Pederson, Alyssa (2010-07-16). "Pickwick Mill going strong". Winona Daily News. Winona, Minn. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
External links
- Pickwick Mill - official site