The old mill building at 2089 Bristol Road, known as The Mill at Pemaquid Falls, recently had another life breathed into it by members of the Old Bristol Historical Society.
In 2019, society members bought the structure under the financial sponsorship of Coastal Rivers Conversation Trust from Hammond Lumber for $400,000 and began renovating it with the aim at preservation.
“If we hadn’t bought it, Hammond would have torn it down,” said Phil Averill, an Old Bristol Historical Society director and huge advocate for the building.
The mill has had many functions, a few being to grind grain, card wool, and saw lumber, according to Averill. Some of the machinery from those industries is still in the mill, such as a 19th-century water-driven turbine and an 18th-century planer.
“It was worth saving,” Averill said.
Over the last 100 years, the mill building has changed hands between lumber companies like Hammond Lumber and Poole Brothers, but the aim of the restoration efforts over the last five years are to preserve an important piece of Bristol history and to share it with the public, according to Old Bristol Historical Society President Mark Ziarnik.
To date, between the purchase and renovations, the cost has neared $900,000, funded largely by donations and fundraisers, according to Ziarnik.
“There’s been tremendous community support,” Ziarnik said. “We couldn’t have done this without the community.”
The Mill at Pemaquid Falls is set to open to the public as a museum showcasing the history of the building and area, hopefully by June, according to Ziarnik.
Also on the campus is the Bristol History Center, which had its grand opening on July 3, 2022, and serves as the Old Bristol Historical Society headquarters with a vault where historical archives can be kept.
Between now and then, the building needs some Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant adjustments, some lighting fixtures installed, exhibits put together, and proper permitting.
“It’s pretty close to being ready,” Ziarnik said. “The carpentry work is in good shape.”
Among the renovations over the last five years are a full roof replacement, siding work, structural work beneath the building, and beam replacement.
Those helping with the renovation project include Ed Blaiklock, who worked on siding and roof supports, Tom Kronenberger, a post-and-beam expert, and Roger Panek, who helped significantly with window replacement and frame installation, as well as diagnosing problems with the structure and offering solutions.
Panek said the chief fundraiser for the project, Pat Porter, deserves a lot of recognition for her successful efforts.
The building holds huge historical importance for Bristol, Ziarnik said, and that feels more significant than ever in an area that recently incurred severe damage to its coastline during the Jan. 10 and Jan. 13 storms.
“It’s particularly poignant now with all the damage, with the fish houses blowing away,” Ziarnik said. “The properties we can preserve, we should.”
During a Bristol Select Board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 17, select board Chair Chad Hanna said several fish houses and wharfs in the town were washed away in the storms.
The idea of place resonates with Ed Kitson, an Old Bristol Historical Society director, who feels that preserving buildings like this one reinforce a community’s identity through time.
“For me, involvement in this building with this kind of organization is part of what makes place important,” Kitson said. “If you remove all that you end up with a homogenization of place and buildings like this are important because they transcend generations, so it’s a way of having place that has meaning over time. Once it’s gone, what do you put there?”
In years past, the Old Bristol Historical Society campus has been an industrial center for the area, and while those days are gone, Ziarnik said they’re looking to renovate the grounds in addition to the museum, as a place for visitors to come and enjoy local flora and fauna and to learn about its history.
“It’s fun, it’s a lot of work, but it’s rewarding,” Ziarnik said. “We can’t thank the community enough for their support.”
Those looking to support the project, or to find out more information about its progress, can go to their website oldbristolhistoricalsociety.org or email them at oldbristolhistoricalsociety03@gmail.com.
