News

The Austin sawmill was a running water-powered mill until the mid-1970s. It has survived fire, economic hardship, and some rebuilding in the past. A very active local coalition of concerned citizens have embraced a project to re-create the sawmill, add a public space, and build a park around it. They have a well-defined goal and very high community support for the project.

The task force consists of Glenn Diezel, Alfredo Rico, and Scott Russell of Minden, Ontario; Jim Kricker of New York, Charles Judd of Tennessee; Leon Buckwalter of New York; Harry Southworth of New Hampshire, and Randy Churchill of Vermont (Dave Wright of Minden also toured the sawmill). Their recommendation is to renovate the sawmill. As timber framers, they see the Guild contribution to be recording the original design and modifications, coordinating the dismantling of the existing undercarriage, and then designing, fabricating, and installing the new support work. In addition, the Guild could build new framing to replace the worn tool and planer rooms. This would be a departure from the existing structure, but would be long-lasting and a showpiece for the timber framer's work. All of this work would follow the complicated rigging task of stabilizing the existing structure and then raising it to allow safe work to take place underneath, to be contracted to a professional rigging crew.

The scale of this as a potential Guild project is not large (by Guelph bridge standards), but would be interesting to a segment of the membership because of its unique history and the marriage of mechanical works with a timber structure. The unique loading of the building by hydrostatic, ice flow, mechanical, and other forces makes it an exciting project. Who could watch floating logs, rushing water, flying belts, and sawing of cants, and not be impressed?

We have contacted the Society for Preservation of Old Mills (SPOOM) and they are enthusiastic as well. They have a chapter in this region which will work closely with us and the community.