Caledonia Mill

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The construction of the Caledonia mill, in its original four-storey form, was started in 1853 by James Little. James Little also built Edinburgh Square and The Grand Trunk Railway station of Caledonia. The Mill began operations in January 1857. Over the years the mill has undergone several name changes. At the beginning of operations the Mill was known as the "Balmoral Mill". In 1873 the Old Mill changed names to the "Grand River Mill", at which time it expanded operations to house offices, flour, feed and a elevator. In 1892 the Mill became known as "The Caledonia Milling Company". In 1896 the Mill was renamed " Grand River Milling Company". In 1975, the name, "The Caledonia Mill" came into being. Shortly thereafter it ceased operations.

There have been two major additions to the Mill. The first occurred in the 1880's when a two story L-shaped addition was added. The second was a two-storey annex added in the 1900's. the three sections combine to make up the look of Mill as it stands today.

The mill also tells us the life of some of the workers who left behing information about how and when the Train Bridge was built when there children were born and how they would hide behind the grinders to keep away from there boss. The mill is a very interesting building! See for yourself. Go to Caledonia and drive to the end of Forfar Street. The number is 146. Or you could just look for the huge black and white building! Sadly the mill is closed to the public because of disrepair please donate to the mill so it can be restored to it's origonal glory! Follow the link below or e-mail me at iandthompson@sympatico.ca .

In 1983, the Town of Haldimand designated the Caledonia Mill a Heritage Property under the Ontario Heritage Act.

In 1996, the Caledonia Old Mill Corporation was given ownership of the Caledonia Mill from former Town of Haldimand.

What Makes the Mill Unique There are several unique characteristics that make the Mill a valuable part of the Haldimand's Heritage:

The Mill was the last water powered mill along the Grand River The Mill is home to a distinctive cupola, a decorative feature rarely seen in Canadian Mills of the era. The cupola gives a breathtaking view of the only nine-span bridge in Canada The Mill is one of only a handful of existing artifacts from the Grand River Navigation System. This article is brought to you by: Ian Thompson and the rest of the Caledonia Junior Volunteer Committee. To visit the Caledonia Mill Website click [1] The Caledonia Mill Needs some junior volunteers to help us with fundraising during the Spring of 2007, to help us contact Ian Thompson At iandthompson@sympatico.ca The Caledonia Mill is an incredible building and needs funding to be restored: To donate contact Ian Thompson with the e-mail address above. To become an adult volunteer or supervisor contact Ian Thompson at iandthompson2@sympatico.ca . Thank you for caring about the Caledonia Mill! If you would like to be a part of one of our family oriented fundraisers or you would like to come and support the mill send an e-mail saying more information and I'll send it to you right away!