McConnells Mill gristmill gives visitors the opportunity to walk through a piece of history
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP, Lawrence County — Through weighing, grinding, cleaning and every other step of the process, visitors to McConnells Mill State Park have the opportunity to walk through history and learn about the inner mechanisms of an Industrial Revolution-era gristmill.
A sunny summer solstice day, Sunday, June 21, brought dozens of visitors to the historic gristmill. While people were able to explore on their own, guided tours are offered at 1 and 2 p.m. daily.
The mill is open 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Labor Day and admission is free.
“Slippery Rock Creek has powered several mills in the area. Other gristmills, a carding mill, a sawmill and even an oil mill once existed. But McConnell’s Mill outlasted them all,” a sign in the current gristmill reads.
The first gristmill — standing four and a half stories tall and supported by a large water wheel — was opened in 1852 along the banks of the creek by David Kennedy. The lower levels were constructed of sandstone to withstand flooding, while the upper levels were made of wood for a drier storage area.
The mill had a number of products, including wheat, rye and buckwheat flour, cornmeal and animal feed.
However, the first gristmill did not last very long. In 1867, it was struck by lightning and subsequently burned down. Kennedy rebuilt the mill in 1868. It is the mill that still stands today.
After Kennedy’s death, the mill changed hands before it was ultimately sold to its future namesake, Thomas McConnell, in 1875.
He, alongside his brother, James McConnell, and business partner, Samuel Wilson, began making upgrades to the facility. The water wheel was replaced with water turbines and flat grinding stones with rolling mills.
The McConnell brothers eventually bought out Wilson’s share and the building became known as McConnell’s Mill or, sometimes, Forest Mills.
In the rapidly developing 20th century, McConnell’s Mill quickly grew obsolete and shut its doors permanently in 1928.
Thomas Hartman, Thomas McConnell’s grandson, eventually sold the closed mill to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. The organization deeded it to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in hopes of preserving the historic building.
On Oct. 5, 1957, the area became officially recognized as McConnells Mill State Park.
The state completed an authentic reconstruction of the mill and replacement of the dam in 1963.
Natalie Simon, the environmental education specialist responsible for Sunday’s tours, said the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is routinely repairing and maintaining parts of the mill to keep it in an authentic and safe condition.
“Of course, there’s always challenges with a historic building, but it’s really very precious to the people,” she said. “I talk to people who have memories of coming here long ago or they revisit every once a while. Some people who have never been here before are really excited for it.”
She said most days’ visitors are a healthy balance of locals and tourists.
As for maintenance around the building, she said the township is responsible for the roads while Lawrence County is responsible for the covered bridge — making the park a team effort.
Simon said her favorite part of the history of the mill is the impressive level of automation happening in the mill, considering the technology of the time.
“The farmers would bring their grain and pay the miller part of the grain. Once he weighed it and put it down the trap door, he didn’t have to touch it again until it was the finished white flour,” she said.
In addition to the history, Simon said there is a good amount of activity at the state park, including a Salamander Safari scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday, June 25. She said the McConnells Mill Heritage Festival will also make a return in September.
