Lanterman’s Mill

The story begins in the late 18th Century. This was a place of natural beauty that belonged to John Young, who was the founder of Youngstown. When John Young’s surveyors were asked to survey the local area they came across the falls.

The surveyors knew this would be an ideal place for a mill, thanks to the power of the water. The first mill that was constructed in this location was a sawdust mill. This mill operated for 23 years when it was replaced with a second mill which was washed away in a large flood in 1843.

The current mill was built in 1845-46 by German Lanterman and his brother-in-law Samuel Kimberly. German Lanterman owned a large area of land around the falls.

A New Direction

It was a very successful operation and there is still local debate as to why it was closed down in the first place. The Mill started to fall apart and it was purchased in 1892. A ballroom and bathhouse were constructed for swimmers.

The upper floors were used for storing boats and a nature museum was opened on the first floor in 1933. Lanterman’s Mill was entered into the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior in 1976.

Renovation of the Mill

The big renovation of the mill started in 1982. It was a tough and costly operation as there were no plans for how the original mill was constructed.

It was decided that an archeological dig was needed to give the team an idea of how to go about their task. The dig was very useful as different artifacts were found and there was also evidence of an earlier waterwheel.

Lorin Cameron and his sons from Damascus, Ohio, are expert gristmill renovators and they were tasked with renovating the mill due to their impressive track record with renovating Garretts Mill in Garrettsville, Ohio, and Gaston’s Mill in Beaver Creek State Park.

The renovation was backed with a $600,000 grant to the Mill Creek Park Foundation by the Florence and Ward Beecher Foundations. A lot of the machinery was purchased, however, the fittings, shafts, and waterwheel were made by hand by the Camerons.

While the work on the machinery was going on, the other areas of the mill were also being refitted. The inside working parts of the mill needed to be replaced and a new roof also had to be fitted. Externally, the walkways and an observation deck were built.