Grist mill opens for 2024 season at McConnells Mill State Park
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP, Lawrence County — School groups, tour groups, and other park visitors came out in droves to see a piece of history on Thursday morning, May 16, as the historic grist mill at McConnells Mill State Park opened to the public for the 2024 season.
The mill, originally built in the late 1860s to mill grains into flour, is one of the centerpieces of the 2,546-acre state park in Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County.
According to park volunteer Polly Shaw, the grist mill currently standing at McConnells Mill is not the first one to be built at what is now the park.
“The original was built in 1852,” Shaw said. “However, it was struck by lightning, we believe in 1867, and it burned. So the building in which we’re standing was rebuilt in 1868 and 1869.”
A few years after its opening, in 1875, the mill was purchased by Thomas McConnell — hence the name of the park. Since its opening, the mill served as a major commercial center for the area, until an economic downturn forced it to close commercial operations in 1928. However, the building survived as a historical landmark after it was conveyed to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1946.
Shaw says that the mill closes to the public for the fall and winter because there is no heat to the building and the roads surrounding the mill can get treacherous during the winter.
“It’s icy out there. They don’t tend these roads,” Shaw said. “There’s no heat in this building. I've been here in the cold.”
The mill still has the capability to grind flour, and will occasionally perform demonstrations throughout the season.
“It’s strictly a demonstration,” Shaw said. “We don’t produce anything commercially.”
The mill itself is located in a secluded area of the park, roughly a half-mile’s hike and a steep set of stairs away from the nearest parking lot.
Despite this, numerous school field trips, tour groups, and other parkgoers made the trip to the mill, and the nearby covered bridge, on Thursday morning for their first chance of 2024 to see it in person.
One of those groups was a photography class from Slippery Rock University, taught by Katherine Mickle.
“It’s just incredibly beautiful, and it’s a wonderful state park,” Mickle said. “There’s a lot to see. There’s this area, and then there’s other areas that you can drive to within five or 10 minutes, and you’re in another waterfall, or another beautiful location. So it offers a lot of opportunities to take good photos.”
Another class that made the trip to the grist mill for its opening day hailed from the Divine Redeemer Catholic School in Ford City, Armstrong County as part of their annual field trip.
“We go different places every year, if it fits in our science curriculum,” said Jack Giancola, principal of Divine Redeemer. “Unlike public schools, we do a lot with hands-on science. Not science that’s just on the PSSA. I think it gives us a big advantage as a Catholic school.”
Giancola was thankful for the educational opportunity provided by McConnells Mill State Park.
“It’s a state park, so all the people are really capable of explaining everything to us, and they really teach us a lot,” Giancola said. “They’re also knowledgeable because they love nature, and they just know a lot about it.”
The mill is open through Labor Day, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is free.
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