Tinicum Civic Association hosts open house at historic Stover Mill in Erwinna

Come to Erwinna between 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, when the Tinicum Civic Association holds a free open house at the historic Stover Mill, located at 852 River Road (Route 32).

Guides will be on hand to describe the building and former milling operations. Admission and parking are free.

Special guest and mill expert Charles Yeske, president of the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills (SPOOM), will be present throughout the open house to provide in-depth historical and practical information on mill operations. Yeske was introduced to mills in 1968 through his involvement with the Tinicum Civic Association and its historic Stover Mill. He immersed himself in its history and maintenance and became an advocate for the preservation of historic mills such as the Stover Mill.

Yeske managed the Bucks County-owned Stover-Myers Mill in Pipersville for 46 years and the Durham Mill in Durham Township for several years before it was sold to Durham Township. At Stover-Myers, Yeske led the successful effort to restore the mill to operational status and he became adept at milling corn.

The 191-year old Stover Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is noteworthy among water-powered mills of this region for both its daring placement on a waterway as powerful as the Delaware River and for the amount of original mill machinery that remains in place. The mill played a vital role in the area’s economy between 1832 and 1932.

It underwent a major restoration of the supporting framework and basement level during the winter of 2011-2012.

With most of the mill machinery still in place, the Stover Mill today offers a special look back at local history. All four floors of the mill will be open to the public during the open house. Visitors will see everything from the power take off gears in the basement, to the four sets of millstones on the first floor, to the flour sifters on the third floor.

In addition to the mill and its machinery, visitors can enjoy a variety of historic maps and photographs.

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