Kister Mill restoration nears completion

Kister Mill is a historic, timber-frame, 200-year-old mill located southwest of Wooster in Wayne County. Since 2020 the Western Reserve Land Conservancy has been involved in a project to restore the mill.

During the era Kister Mill operated, it was typical for mills to serve one purpose. Kister is known to have served multiple industries.

It is anticipated the mill will open to the public sometime this year.

Western Reserve Land Conservancy acquired Kister Mill and approximately 15 acres of surrounding land in 2018 and is well underway in restoring the mill and providing future public access for educational opportunities. The land also contains a fragile wetland ecosystem.

Western Reserve Land Conservancy is a nationally recognized land trust working to preserve special places in Ohio for current and future generations. Vice President of Western Field Operations Andy McDowell said it is the largest land trust in Ohio and one of the largest in the country. The nonprofit conservation organization works with private landowners and public and private entities to preserve natural resources, scenic beauty and productive farmland and conduct urban revitalization projects in Northeast and North Central Ohio.

Although, as its name implies, the conservancy generally focuses on land conservation, the nonprofit decided the historic structure and its relevance to the community and America’s history were significant. Coupled with the high-quality wetland habitat acreage, the conservancy moved ahead to raise funds to acquire the mill and property. The approximately $2 million raised came from a combination of private donors with Wayne County roots and state funding.

Currently, the structural restoration and enhancements to the mill itself are essentially complete. The conservancy partnered with Vince Mariola Construction and Rich Boyer on the restoration.

The team began with the installation of safety features needed for a historic educational destination and for public access and access for those with disabilities.

Other completed improvements include a new roof, doors and windows, restrooms, septic system and well, siding, electrical wiring and lighting and more. Reconstruction of the 18-foot waterwheel is currently in progress, and a concrete parking area will be added.

McDowell said there have been many surprises along the way during the restoration process.

“With a 200-year-old structure, with structural additions added over time, it was a little like peeling an onion, with every layer removed revealing a new unanticipated issue to address,” McDowell said. “Mariola’s team took it all in stride and figured out the best solution every step of the way, just like a miller would have done back in the day.”

McDowell said restoration also has included cleaning and redigging the mill ponds and installing new clay liners.

“The millrace directing water from the dam site to the mill and mill ponds (nearly one-third mile) had to be cleaned out to get water flowing again,” McDowell said. “The dam was repaired, sidewalks around the mill site installed and probably a million other smaller items I can’t remember.”

The most significant piece of the restoration that remains is the reconstruction and installation of the waterwheel.

“This is in process and is being done and led by Rich Boyer, who did the same thing 25 years ago with his father,” McDowell said.

The conservancy website describes a unique challenge Boyer faced in restoring the wheel. He began the project in 1997 and was stymied by a missing piece.

“After exhaustive searching in books, calling experts and asking farmers,” the site explains, “Boyer found no answers until he viewed a YouTube video originally recorded in 1979.”

The video featured an area news reporter who did a story on the mill, which showed the waterwheel in operation. By studying the video of the wheel in action, Boyer was able to solve the mystery.

Development of educational and interpretive signage is underway.

“In the coming years, we also plan to complete a nature trail that follows the millrace from the mill to the dam site,” McDowell said.

This will help showcase the wetland habitat along its course.

Most of these projects are expected to be completed in 2026. How might the community — individuals, organizations, nonprofits and businesses — become involved? McDowell said the conservancy is seeking to partner with an entity more local to the Wayne County area before a decision is made as to when it will be open and available to the public and groups. For partnership opportunities, McDowell can be reached at 440-773-6227 or amcdowell@wrlandconservancy.org.

Once opened, the vision is for members of the public to be able to tour the mill on their own and also take guided or self-guided tours.

“We envision the ability to host school groups and tours as well as adult group tours,” McDowell said. “We also anticipate hosting various events on-site.”

McDowell said the educational programming could include a variety of themes including American industrial history, agricultural history, engineering and additional topics related to the mill.

“The site also provides great environmental education and research opportunities as well due to the wetland habitat,” he said.

Find the Kister Mill restoration at www.wrlandconservancy.org/ and on Facebook. Donate on the Western Reserve Land Conservancy website at www.wrlandconservancy.org/donate/. On the pull-down menu, designate Kister Mill.

McDowell said projects like the Kister Mill restoration often fall by the wayside due to the costs involved and the lack of public funding available.

“But they are important as they bring history to life, make it real,” he said. “For many people, especially younger generations, a glimpse into the past is typically left to black and white photos. But places like the mill bring it to life in a way it can be experienced and, more importantly, appreciated.”