By By EMILY DREITZLER / Niles Daily Star
BUCHANAN - The historic water-powered flour mill, Pears Mill, will be holding a season opening celebration on Saturday, May 28, from 1-5 p.m. Woodcarvers will be featured and tours will be conducted. Wheat and corn grinding demonstrations will also be held.
Pears Mill was constructed in 1857 in a simplistic Italianate/Greek revival style. In 1983, the building was seen as an eyesore within the community and was slated for demolition. The Buchanan Preservation Society, a non-profit organization founded in 1980, immediately started a campaign to help save the unsightly building.
The Buchanan Preservation Society was successful in its endeavor and Pears Mill has since undergone a charming restoration and still operates as a working flour mill.
Today, it is administered and operated by the all-volunteer Buchanan Preservation Society who offer guided tours and occasional demonstrations of such historic trades as weaving, blacksmithing, and basketweaving.
Admission is free. Pears Mill is located at 121 S. Oak St. in downtown Buchanan.