Ball's Mill

Submitted by: Susan Deane

Hike reference: Ball's Mill/Lime Kiln Trail (5.0 km)

The following is a transcription of a flyer obtained from the owner of the property:

WELCOME TO 

BALL'S MILL 

INTRODUCTION 

During your visit today, we hope you will experience the magic of historic Ball's Mill. Step back in time to examine this unique and beautiful structure, which began as a carding mill and saw mill back in 1842. 

Founder Lambert Stevens sold the mill to Scottish entrepreneur William G. McDougall in 1846. Intending to create an export trade in flour to England, McDougall added a new section to the front of the building for milling the flour. To advertise the new business, he boldly painted "Cash For Wheat" on the west wall. McDougall also constructed a 

raceway from the headpond and dam one eighth of a mile up Baltimore Creek. A saw mill and west wing were added later. 

In 1868, McDougall went into partnership with John Ludgate of Peterborough County. Eight years later, McDougall passed away and in 1884, the Baltimore Mill was put into Chancery. The mill was purchased by local miller John Ball, and was henceforth known as Ball's Mill. 

THE BALL FAMILY 

Ball's Mill remained in the Ball family for three generations, each owner in turn leaving his mark on the building. When John Ball took ownership of the mill, he continued to use a water wheel and grinding stones until 1906, when he decided to modernize. A steel turbine system was built to generate power. An upper raceway was constructed, and steel flumes and a steel penstock were laid to carry the water. To assemble the steel parts, a man had to crawl into the tubing with red hot rivets and put them through holes. They were then flattened by the man on the outside. John was injured and lost his thumb during construction of this system. 

His son Fred took over the running of Ball's Mill in 1912. Under his stewardship, the modernization of the mill continued and business flourished. In 1941, Fred's son Jack took over ownership. Jack ran the mill until he retired in 1971. 

THE FIGHT TO SAVE BALL'S MILL 

Ball's Mill was purchased by the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority (GRCA) in 1971. Originally, the GRCA hoped to be able to preserve the building, but those plans never saw fruition. 

The building stood idle and neglected and eventually was threatened with demolition. In 1983, local resident Lesley McInnis, on behalf of the concerned citizens of Hamilton Township, stepped in to fight for the mill. After much time and energy, those efforts paid off and Ball's Mill received a stay of execution. The GRCA chose to sell the building rather than restore it and auctioned off much of the original equipment. In 1988, Ball's Mill was sold to its present owner Paul Rapati, who is currently restoring the mill to its former splendour. 

IT'S ALL STILL HERE 

There are many interesting features to examine and learn from at Ball's Mill. It has an elegance which sets it apart from other mills of its period. The architectural style is classical Greek and Roman. The gabled roof is joined by rafters which meet at the uppermost point and are nailed with square forged iron nails. Exterior cornices are practical and beautiful, as are the louvred windows that circulate air in the southern addition. 

Inside the building, visitors can examine other curiosities such as the stencils on the wall, names carved into beams bearing dates long past, and old mill stones. There are cedar silo bins that awesomely ascend to the third floor. The turbine system where John Ball lost his thumb, is still there. 

Outside, the course of the raceway, now dry, etches a path from the headpond, as if awaiting the rush of water to bring the mill back to life. 

HELP KEEP HISTORY ALIVE 

We hope your visit to Ball's Mill has brought back fond memories of years gone by for you and your family and that you wi visit Ball's Mill again. 

ADMISSION to tour Ball's Mill IS FREE, but GIFTS to the DONATION BOX are always APPRECIATED. The on-going restoration is very rewarding but quite costly, and there is still much to do. 

With your donation, you will be helping to restore an important part of this area's history and I thank you for your help. 

Cordially, 

Paul Rapati 

*The following is an addendum, supplied by Jay Sherwin

Re: the references to raceways..."Raceway", when associated with a water-powered mill, refers to a series of water storage ponds and the piping that linked the ponds to the mill. Raceways at Ball’s Mill were long narrow ponds. I played pond hockey on them at times when they were not in use for power purposes. I believe the metal pipes connecting the ponds to the mill and through which the water "raced" are still visible today behind and above the mill.