The Linden Mill is a former

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

located in

Linden, Michigan Linden is a city in southern Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Its population was 4,142 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Flint metropolitan area. History Linden was settled in late 1835 by two brothers, Richard and Perry Lamb. Per ...

. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1972. As of 2018, the building housed the Linden branch of the Genesee District Library and the Linden Mills Historical Society Museum.

History

Two mills were first built in Linden in 1837 and 1838. These burned, and in 1850 Seth C. Sadler and M. Warren bought the mill sites and constructed the present gristmill as well as a saw mill located across the river. These mills were operated together, and known as the "Linden Mills." By 1864, Linden had 450 inhabitants, and multiple businesses that depended on the mills, such as furniture manufacturers, makers of, staves and carriages, and a grain elevator. The saw mill burned down during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, but was soon rebuilt. In 1864, Israel B. Hyatt purchased the mills, and in about 1880 Myron Harris took over. At some point, the saw mill was demolished, but the gristmill continued in operation until 1956. At that point, the water wheel was sold and the village of Linden purchased the mill for use as a library, and to house municipal offices. The structure was remodeled, and opened as a community center in 1961. In 1971, the water wheel was replaced with another wheel from an old mill. The municipal offices moved out of the building during the 1960s, and in 1976 the Linden Mills Historical Society Museum opened in the building. As of 2018 the library and the historical museum are still located in the old mill.

Description

The Linden Mill is a 2-1/2-story frame structure, standing on a fieldstone basement that is exposed on the river side. The building measures approximately thirty feet by sixty feet. It has a gable roof with two dormers on each side. The exterior is clad with clapboard, and windows are six-over-six units, located on each side of the building. In the river side, windows are in both upper stories and the basement, giving the impression of a three-story building. The front facade has a shed roof running the full width of the facade.

References

External links

Linden Mills Historical Society Museum

Linden branch
of the Genesee District Library {{National Register of Historic Places in Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Genesee County, Michigan Commercial buildings completed in 1850