Wednesday, August 15, 2012

M/Alphabe-Thursday

 The south side of the Elora Mill - Elora, Ontario

M is for MILL
 This old grist mill is an Elora landmark and the only five-story mill left in Ontario. A few years ago the mill was renovated and converted into an inn but  in November 2010 it closed. Now plans are under way for a historical restoration (whatever that means) and renovations, especially to the roof.

 In sepia, the east side of the mill

Taken from upstream, the second photo has an old-timey feel. Signs on the temporary fence on the other side of this building (which you cannot see) say the inn will reopen in 2013.  Apparently there are plans for expansion on the south side of the river so that eventually there will be 75 guest rooms as well as commercial and retail space.

The west side, which is downstream

I am sure the renovations will be good for the town's tourism, but I will be sad to see the derelict buildings torn down on the south side of the river (where I was standing to take these photos), which I fear will be a must. Right now they are great places to photograph, and I will post some of my latest photos soon.

I am linking to Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday HERE

52 comments:

rainfield61 said...

It must be a cool place, a cool inn.

Beautiful.

cieldequimper said...

Lovely. It's good that these old industrial places are kept alive.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

what a grand old building. Your sepia treatment is especially fine and appropriate.

Kathy said...

Such a beautiful spot. I'd love to stay there!

Jill said...

Fantastic shots of this wonderful old mill. I'd love to see it in person.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Nice pics, I hope they do a good restoration.

Kate said...

Mills definitely are part of our past!

Birdman said...

Quite wonderful, all.

TexWisGirl said...

i hope they do save it and utilize it well. i like that sepia shot. :)

'Tsuki said...

Enorme, cette minotière !

Paul in Powell River said...

What a great looking building! - it must be high on every photog tourists list for pictures. I'd be there snapping.

Stephanie said...

Wow, nice old building too.

RedPat said...

Love that seoia shot!

Halcyon said...

It will be sad to see the old buildings go, but glad they're saving the mill. Really nice shots of this wonderful old place.

Cheryl @ TFD said...

This is a huge mill! I'm so glad they are restoring this beautiful building. Great shots!

Joyful said...

It's a beautiful place. I'm so glad they are restoring it and incorporating it into their plans rather than getting rid of it altogether.

Ellie said...

What a beautiful old building - I hope they redo it tastefully.

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Nice old building- I'm glad it is being restored. Great pics!

Debra at HOMESPUN: http://www.thehomespun.com said...

GREAT "M" post ...love the photos :)

Janie said...

What an interesting old building. I'm glad it will be restored.

LONDONLULU said...

Ooh, loving the sepia one. We have a grist mill nearby that I'm afraid may be in danger of being torn down. Love that yours will still be alive in some way, though.

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

How beautiful! love love love the sepia shots...

Sue McPeak said...

How very picturesque...you photos capture the Mill and it's beautiful landscape very well. Such a lot of history to be saved...let's hope for a successful restoration and new life. Great Letter M post.

Naperville Now said...

utterly charming, but what a nightmare for renos. still, it would be fun to imagine living in a place like a mill. how many square feet?

don said...

A fine series of this old mill. What an interesting place to shoot.

Anonymous said...

Great shots. That is a really neat old building. I always like to see those old buildings taken care of, but it somehow seems a bit strange when their purpose is changed.

Gillian Olson said...

Love the old mill pictures, especially that sepia one!

Susan Mystery said...

I just love old buildings and you have photographed this one so nicely. Thank you for the historical information, that was an added plus!

Lori said...

Very cool building!

Michelle said...

I love old mills. Great shots!

Jack said...

Nice spot for a historic hotel. Hope the renovations are successful.

Randy said...

I really like the Sepia toned shot.

SandyCarlson said...

Your photos take me out of time and place and put me there. They are astounding.

VBR said...

What a fine old building this is. I love to see how buildings were designed long ago. Wonderful M post!

Susan said...

Girl, you do get around! What a beautiful place. I'd stay there! The photos are so awesome!

George said...

I like all of these pictures. The mill is beautiful, as is the setting.

Jim said...

This is a nice old mill, Ms. E.G.
We had old textile and grist mills in New Hampshire when I live there. Most were already retired.

Jim's Alphabe-Thursday posts
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Malyss said...

Very impressive and beautiful building! I hope it won't lose its soul when becoming a touristic place ..

Erika said...

I don't know why but I like mills. We have an old, abandoned mill that I dream will one day be reopened at least as a shop. The location is not in the greatest part of time which is why it probably languishes but it really is beautiful.

Andy said...

The south side gives a much better view of the dam.

Elisa N Viajes said...

Just wonderful!

Unknown said...

This is such a wonderful old building.

carol l mckenna said...

Great shots of a lovely old mill ~ Wow! (A Creative Harbor)

Susan Anderson said...

So quaint and charming. Would love to visit there!

=)

Lowell said...

So iconic. It's exactly what an old mill should look like! :) I'm glad that it's going to be restored; that is really quite a priceless building!

Rose said...

Oh, EG, I wish there was a cheap way to have puzzles done...I would love to have either of the first two as a jigsaw puzzle....they are wonderful.

Snowcatcher said...

What a beautiful piece of the past. I love the back (?) view with all the windows. But all the views are incredible, sitting right there on the river.

anitamombanita said...

What a cool old building! Thanks for sharing! :)

Francisca said...

How nice to see the old mill still standing, not swept away is a tide of urbanisation and modernisation! I used to visit Elora when I attended U of Guelph nearby in the mid-70s. Your shots, especially the sepia, are outstanding, EG CameraGirl..

[Pity indeed that we did not meet up when I was so near. The trip was sudden (family death) and I did not have much time to plan anything. Halcyon got our lunch together and that it worked was pretty miraculous... and a hoot!]

Anonymous said...

It's a shame that electricity and other power sources have replaced what these water-powered mills once did. I hope the one in your town is preserved, both for its historic worth and its photographic appeal.

Jenny said...

I have always loved mills.

I was lucky enough to find two incredibly heavy millstones at a garage sale of all places.

I can help but feel the texture and the grooves and think of the hard work and pride in times past.

This was a magnificent link to the letter M.

Thank you for sharing it!

A+

Zosia said...

Love this place. I remember having dinner in the restaurant there.

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East Gwillimbury is a rural town less than an hour north of Toronto, Canada's largest city. My family calls me CameraGirl because I take my camera with me wherever I go.