Wolf Creek / Pine Run Gristmill is named after a nearby small stream from which it receives its water power. Originally this mill was named Wolf's Mill and was located on Route 60 (Hayesville Road), 6 miles north of Loudonville. Isaac Meanor established a gristmill site on Route 60 in 1831. The original building was subsequently replaced.
In 1971, Ed and Lavern Pennell purchased the mill, identified each piece and moved it to its present location on Pine Run. The reconstruction was completed in 1975 and was opened to the public.
Pine Run Gristmill is 36' X 46' and has 2.5 stories. The exterior has lap siding and is charcoal gray. The exterior overshot waterwheel is 16 feet in diameter and is supplied water from Pine Run via a wooden flume. There are two sets of French granite buhrstones. A 14' bull wheel is inside the mill that has the original gears and iron teeth.
The mill was open to the public until the mid 1980's. It has been purchased by the State of Ohio Park Systems. There are plans to renovate the mill and open it for the public.
Even if the mill is not open, it's worth the trip. The antique building has been exquisitely maintained. The combination of the wooden waterwheel, wooden flume, and the way Pine Run meanders around the mill is picturesque. The mill photographs well and the site is fun to explore. (Garber; Hill; "Old Mill Put on New Site"; "Open House at Pine Run Grist Mill"; Patton).
DIRECTIONS: Ashland County. Hanover Township. From Loudonville south on S.R. 3. One mile South of Mohican State Park Entrance.
Click Here for Link to Wolf Creek Grist Mill's Website
Google Map for Wolf Creek Mill. Use the Satellite Image and Zoom in.
The Wolf Creek mill originally stood three miles north of Loudonville along State Route 60 until about 1970 when it was slated for demolition for a highway widening and straightening project. Local resident Ed Pennell dismantled and moved it to its present location on historic State Route 3 (formerly the “3-C Highway”) near the entrance to Mohican State Park, where he reconstructed it, renamed it Pine Run Gristmill and operated it privately as an ice cream parlor for a short time before his death. After that the mill stood vacant and deteriorating in spite of its ideal location in one of Ohio’s prime tourist areas. Eventually the State of Ohio purchased it. Eventually, when budgets tightened and funds shrank, the decision was made to demolish it. In the year 2000 Mark Smith stepped in and founded the Friends of the Mill after convincing state officials to lease them the property. Today the foundation has grown and operates on a substantial annual budget with funding from grants as well as several popular public events on the mill grounds. Mark’s professional experience in restoration, dedicated local volunteers, and the region’s heavy summer tourism have all contributed to the overwhelming success of the venture.
A few miles west near the village of Butler stood another mid-19th Century mill--Rummell’s. It collapsed about ten years ago, but fortunately not before the Wolf Creek group successfully salvaged all the equipment from it. Most of this is on display alongside other acquired period pieces. The large French burrstones were originally from the A. A. Taylor Flouring Mill in Loudonville.
Above Video of Wolf Creek Mill