Lane's Mill

History of Lane's Mill by Brenda Krekeler

Lane's Mill was built in 1848 by William Elliot. William Elliot was killed in an accident in the mill in 1853. William Lane bought the mill and operated it until 1898. The farm complex including the mill, house and barn has since belonged to the Manrod Family.

Lane's Mill is 3 1/2 story beautiful structure. It was built with cut limestone that was quarried from Four Mile Creek, the water supply for the mill. The original roof was shake and was covered in 1970 with asphalt shingles. The building is covered with vines and brush trees that hide the impressive structure. The wooden gables are seriously deteriorated and the windows are gone. Above each window opening is a stone segmental arch lintel. Each window sill has a protruding slab of stone.

The area surrounding the mill is so overgrown that identifying the location of the undershot waterwheel is impossible. The millrace is easily identified. At its origin, the millrace is 30' wide and 8' deep. It becomes narrower as it approaches the mill. The tailrace parallels Four Mile Creek for 3000 feet. The millrace and tailrace have not been changed significantly but they are overgrown with trees and brush.

Although the mill area is not maintained and the mill is seriously deteriorated, it is still worth a visit. Just the stone work alone is architecturally significant. Lane's Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ("Lane's Mill.")

Collapsed prior to 2011.

DIRECTIONS: Butler County. Milford Township. From Oxford, south on S.R. 27, 2 miles, east (left) on Nichols Road 1 mile, north (left) on Lane's Mill Road 3/4 mile, on left. I recheck this location and brush trees have overgrown the area. However if you are interested in following an artifact headrace and or tail race, you might be able to still detect them from Four Mile Creek, the Mill's original source of water.