The Grist Mill at Keremeos
A Living, Working Museum
When
Barrington Price built his flour mill in 1877, he probably never
imagined
 it would be operating again in the 21st Century! In his
time, it was equipped with some of the best milling equipment
available, including a James Jones New Process roller mill and a Barford &
Perkins grinder. It was state-of-the-art technology in the 1880s,
and now it's the last example of a pioneer British Columbia mill that still has
its historic, original machinery and building in place.
It has taken years of
painstaking research to re-assemble and restore the operating layout
to its 1881 configuration. When
the restoration of the mill began in the 1980s, the old machines and parts were found in a jumble on the
lower level - with Price's Eureka Grain Cleaner actually holding up
the sagging second floor! Careful analysis of every nail hole and
wear mark inside the building has enabled the original position of
each machine and pulley frame to be identified or calculated. During
your visit, you'll find out about this intricate detective work, and
what archaeologists have discovered about the history of the mill.
Now a working waterwheel and
flume provide power to the inner workings of the mill, and in
Price's old store, now a museum of unique hands-on exhibits, you'll
be able to operate various devices that demonstrate the principles
involved in 19th Century flour milling.
The sunny Similkameen area of Southern British Columbia's interior, close to the Canadian and United States border,
is famous for the quality of products from its orchard industry. The
Grist Mill has an heirloom apple orchard, a Living Museum of Wheat
growing on the upper fields, and some of the most interesting
organically-managed heritage gardens in Canada.
Where You'll
Find Us
The Grist Mill and its gardens
are located beside Keremeos Creek, on Upper Bench Road just one
kilometer east off Highway 3A on the north side of Keremeos. This is
about a 40-minute drive south of the city of Penticton, 35 minutes
west of Osoyoos, or about 4 1/2 hours from Vancouver via Highways 1
and 3. Surrounded by the mountains in a near-desert environment, the
Grist Mill and Gardens seems like an oasis with its shade trees,
colourful flower beds and the waters of the creek flowing through
the property.
Want More
Information?
The Grist Mill is managed by Wemet Enterprises. For further information please
contact them:
The Grist Mill and Gardens
RR#1 S-89 C-10, 2691 Upper Bench Road
Keremeos, BC
Canada V0X 1N0
Special web
links:
Measured Drawings: an Architectural Heritage of British Columbia
is a Canada's Digital Collections website that provides a
detailed look at architectural drawings of many historic sites
including the
Grist Mill at Keremeos.
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