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In 1828 John McHarrie Jr. and Stephen Baldwin built
a three-story gristmill on the Seneca River. The construction
of the mill took thousands of man-hours and two years
to complete. Throughout its history, the mill was known
as both “The
Farmers Mill” and “The Red Mill”. The
mill utilized water from the Seneca River to provide
power for all the mechanical equipment in the mill.
The river water was channeled through the basement
of the structure via a hydraulic raceway and over
time, a total of seven water driven turbines and a
series of gear drives were installed to convert the
waterpower to the energy needed to operate the gristmill
equipment. The Baldwin and McHarrie families also began
many other businesses in the area and were instrumental
in the founding of the community that is now the Village
of Baldwinsville.
The timber framed, mill building was the first gristmill
to be built in the area and it is the last mill building
still in existence to this day. There were many other
flourmills, sawmills, and leather mills built along
the river throughout the 1800's. Over the years many
of these mills were destroyed by fire or the buildings
deteriorated because of the lack of maintenance.
The Red Mill property was sold many times throughout
the 1800's and each new owner updated the equipment
and improved the efficiency of the mill. Throughout
the 1900's the mill was owned and operated by the Clark
and Mercer families and then purchased by William Colton.
The mill operated as a flour and grain mill up through
the year 2002 when Mr. Colton shut down the mill and
moved his operation to a new location. The property
was purchased in 2002 by a local developer who had
plans to convert the building into a restaurant and
banquet facility but the project did not go forward
and the property was offered for sale in 2005.
At that
time Jay Bernhardt and Jake McKenna purchased the
property and set out to develop a concept for the property
that would preserve the unique character of the building
and create an establishment that would compliment
the many businesses located in the Village of Baldwinsville.
The property sits on a parcel of land in the center
of the village that is bounded by the Seneca River
on one side and Lock 24 of the New York State Erie
Canal on the other side.
After much thought it was
decided that the best use for this property would
be to convert the building into a 32-room inn and
conference center. The new facility was built using
the existing footprint of the original structure and
all of the original wood columns and beams were refurbished
and incorporated into the new design. Every effort
has been made to maintain the unique features of
the building while providing a very charming, and comfortable
destination for our guests.
Honest, Simple Beauty
The Red Mill Inn is pleasantly decorated in a "Mission" style,
reflecting the charming simplicity of the Arts & Crafts
movement in America in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The
Arts & Crafts period symbolized hand craftsmanship
using rich wood, colored glass, and unique tile. Each
piece of furniture and every interior finish were carefully
and meticulously selected for The Red Mill Inn. The
overall décor preserves and accentuates the
historical nature of the building.
Click here if
you would like to learn more about the Arts & Crafts
movement in America.
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