Gaston's Mill-Lock No. 36, Sandy and Beaver Canal District
Encyclopedia
Gaston's Mill-Lock No. 36, Sandy and Beaver Canal District, is a historic district
listed in the National Register of Historic Places
The district is located within Beaver Creek State Park
, approximately 1 mile south of Clarkson, Ohio
. Gaston's Mill was constructed in 1837 and was powered by Little Beaver Creek. Lock 36 was one of 90 locks
on the Sandy and Beaver Canal
. Construction of this canal began in 1834 but was not completed until 1848.
Restoration and reconstruction of the mill began in 1964 and today it grinds whole wheat flour
, corn meal and buckwheat flour. Gaston's Mill is the only working water-powered grist mill in Columbiana County
. The rebuilding of Lock 36 began in 1988 and was completed in 1991. The lock was restored as an example of how locks were used to raise and lower boats in the canal.
Lock 36 was one of 90 locks on the Sandy and Beaver Canal
. The canal was under construction between 1828 and 1848. The canal was built as a "feeder" canal to join the Ohio and Erie Canal
.
. Most of the wood timbers and posts are original.
Restoration of Lock 36 began in 1988 and was completed in 1991. The cantilevered wood-beam gates used in the restoration were built during a workshop held at Beaver Creek State Park. The builders, Christian & Son Timber, constructed the gates using period tools and dressed as craftsmen of the mid-1800s.
Today, the renovated mill and lock are part of Pioneer Village in Beaver Creek State park. The village, open to visitors, is operated by the Friends of Beaver Creek State park.
and Fredericktown
was formerly lined with six mills, but Gaston's is the only one that remains.
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
The district is located within Beaver Creek State Park
Beaver Creek State Park
Beaver Creek State Park is a Ohio state park in Columbiana County, Ohio in the United States. The park is near East Liverpool on the banks of Little Beaver Creek. It is open for year round recreation including, camping, boating, hunting, fishing and hiking. Historic remnants of the Sandy and...
, approximately 1 mile south of Clarkson, Ohio
Clarkson, Ohio
Clarkson is an unincorporated community in Columbiana County, Ohio, United States.-Geography:Clarkson is located at...
. Gaston's Mill was constructed in 1837 and was powered by Little Beaver Creek. Lock 36 was one of 90 locks
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
on the Sandy and Beaver Canal
Sandy and Beaver Canal
The Sandy and Beaver Canal ran from the Ohio and Erie Canal at Bolivar, Ohio, to the Ohio River at Glasgow, Pennsylvania. It had 90 locks, was chartered in 1828 and completed in 1848. However, the middle section of the canal had many problems from the beginning and fell into disrepair...
. Construction of this canal began in 1834 but was not completed until 1848.
Restoration and reconstruction of the mill began in 1964 and today it grinds whole wheat flour
Whole wheat flour
Whole wheat flour is a powdery substance derived by grinding or mashing the wheat's whole grain. It is used in baking but typically added to other "white" flours to provide nutrients , texture, and body to the finished product....
, corn meal and buckwheat flour. Gaston's Mill is the only working water-powered grist mill in Columbiana County
Columbiana County, Ohio
Columbiana County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 107,841. It is named for Christopher Columbus and the county seat is Lisbon....
. The rebuilding of Lock 36 began in 1988 and was completed in 1991. The lock was restored as an example of how locks were used to raise and lower boats in the canal.
History
Gaston's Mill was built by Samuel Conkle around 1837, on land that was then part of his father Jacob's farm; the land came into his possession in 1843 after his father's death. Conkle employed the mill with a wide range of grains, including corn, wheat, oats, and buckwheat. In 1849, he sold the mill along with the land and water privileges to James Gaston. The mill is named for Philander Gaston, James Gaston's son, who owned the mill longer than any other owner. The mill was water powered until Gaston sold it in 1886. Subsequently, the source of power changed to steam and then to gasoline. The mill was in operation until World War I. At its peak, the mill produced nearly 200 pounds of flour per day.Lock 36 was one of 90 locks on the Sandy and Beaver Canal
Sandy and Beaver Canal
The Sandy and Beaver Canal ran from the Ohio and Erie Canal at Bolivar, Ohio, to the Ohio River at Glasgow, Pennsylvania. It had 90 locks, was chartered in 1828 and completed in 1848. However, the middle section of the canal had many problems from the beginning and fell into disrepair...
. The canal was under construction between 1828 and 1848. The canal was built as a "feeder" canal to join the Ohio and Erie Canal
Ohio and Erie Canal
The Ohio Canal or Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed in the 1820s and early 1830s. It connected Akron, Summit County, with the Cuyahoga River near its mouth on Lake Erie in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth, Scioto County, and then...
.
Restoration
The mill was renovated under the auspices of the Columbiana Forests and Park Council (now the "Friends of Beaver Creek State Park". Restoration began in January, 1964. The council commissioned Lorin Cameron of Damascus, Ohio to undertake the restoration of the mill. During the reconstruction, the building was straightened and wood beams were replaced in the basement. The mill's siding and part of the floors were replaced and a new shingle roof was installed. A new roof was put on the building using shingles produced by an old shingle machine built in 1857 in Salem, OhioSalem, Ohio
Salem is a city in northern Columbiana County and extreme southern Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. At the 2000 census, the city's population was 12,197....
. Most of the wood timbers and posts are original.
Restoration of Lock 36 began in 1988 and was completed in 1991. The cantilevered wood-beam gates used in the restoration were built during a workshop held at Beaver Creek State Park. The builders, Christian & Son Timber, constructed the gates using period tools and dressed as craftsmen of the mid-1800s.
Today, the renovated mill and lock are part of Pioneer Village in Beaver Creek State park. The village, open to visitors, is operated by the Friends of Beaver Creek State park.
Recognition
Gaston's Mill-Lock No. 36, Sandy And Beaver Canal District (section) was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May of 1974. The property was selected according to National Register criteria that recognizes that Gaston's Mill-Lock No. 36, Sandy And Beaver Canal District is "associated with events that have made significant contributions to broad patters of history" and that the district embodies "distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represent the works of a master, or possess high artistic values, or represent a significant and distinguishable entity." Its significance is due partially to its rarity: the route from ElktonElkton, Ohio
Elkton is an unincorporated place located in central Elkrun Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. It is located at latitude 40°45'43" north, longitude 80°41'56" west. The United States Postal Service has assigned Elkton the ZIP code 44415...
and Fredericktown
Fredericktown, Columbiana County, Ohio
Fredericktown is a historic unincorporated community at the confluence of the north and middle forks of Little Beaver Creek in northeastern St. Clair Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. It lies about six miles north of nearby East Liverpool and about 50 miles west of Pittsburgh,...
was formerly lined with six mills, but Gaston's is the only one that remains.