Bahr's Mill

Bahr’s Mill is a beautiful stone building built in 1879 by Jacob Bahr, who had a woodworking and grist mill business. This mill became part of a farm complex in Pennsylvania, about a mile from the center of Boyertown. The complex consisted of a mill, a sawmill, a store, a dairy barn, and a large farmhouse. The mill was water-powered by an overshot wheel, until a severe flood in 1938, when the dam burst. The Mill, which held many of the woodworking and grist machinery, wasn’t given as much attention until Lawrence Bahr closed the sawmill in 1967. Bahr’s Mill Complex has now been fully restored and opened as a museum and even includes a souvenir shop. Bahr’s Mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

In 1897, Jacob Bahr built a stone mill building, replacing an existing linseed oil mill. It was built to house a woodworking and grist mill business. This mill became part of a farm complex in Gabelsville, located 1 mile north of Boyertown, Pennsylvania. Woodworking machinery was said to be installed in the early 1870s. Found in the mill was machinery such as a duplicating lathe, a polishing machine (belt sander), and a spoke-tenoning machine, which have patent dates of 1870 and 1871. 

The linseed oil mill that originally stood at the site was in operation from 1828 until the 1890s. Linseed oil was an important product in the 18^th century as this was used in paint, wood, preservatives, printing ink, and even medicines. Shortly after Jacob Bahr built the 2-story banked stone mill (1897) which was incorporated into the already established complex. This complex has been run by the family for over 175 years. The mill used a water-powered overshot wheel, which came to a halt when the dam burst and caused flooding in 1938. In 1945, the Bahr Family won a contract from the Boyertown Burial Casket Company for the sawmill located across the street. This required more hours of operation than the mill ponds they had could provide. For this reason, the woodworking business was not receiving as much attention until the closing of the sawmill initiated by Lawrence Bahr in 1967. 

In the late 1990s, the restoration of Bahr’s mill began. The machines were cleaned and oiled and a bathroom was built on the ground floor, which is where the water wheel can be seen. The mill has even received assistance from the Boy Scouts who came and cleared away mud from around the wheel. This made it easier to work in the wheel pit. It was also planned to add interior lighting. Originally the mill was only lit by natural light, as well as kerosene lanterns. Knob and tube electric service was installed in the building in 1915 to supply power to only four lightbulbs in the entire building. 

The mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, and in 1998, Bahr’s mill opened as a museum. Gaining over 3,000 visitors in the first year of being open, the mill is still open for tours giving new visitors the chance to view and learn about all the historical equipment and machinery used by the family. Aside from the museum, they also have opened a souvenir shop where you can buy things like a miniature hay rake, exactly like the rake used by Lawrence Bahr when the mill was still in business. 

Reber, Lisa. Bahr's Mill Preservation Society , MuseumsUSA. May 22nd 2019. Accessed July 5th 2022. https://www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/4854.

Fischer, William. Oil Mill 1765, The Historical Marker Database. February 1st 2010. Accessed July 5th 2022. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=27080.

Department of the Interior. National Park Service. (3/2/1934). Pennsylvania MPS Bahr Mill Complex. 2013-01-01/2017-12-31. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, http://catalog.archives.gov/id/71992340. (Accessed July 5, 2022.)