In the nearby fields of Saint Vincent Archabbey Benedictines grew wheat, corn, barley, rye, oats, and buckwheat. The monks needed a way to turn their harvests into flour for bread for themselves and food for their animals so Father Boniface Wimmer began to plan the gristmill's construction in the early 1850s and hired local millwright George Washington Bollinger to design the mill. It was completed in December 1854 and cost about $3,000. While nearly every other building on campus is made out of brick, the gristmill's construction is unique, for it was built almost completely out of wood, Many farmers from the area also made use of the gristmill for the storage and grinding of their grain.
At its peak in 1913, the mill ground enough flour to make more than 150,000 pounds of “Saint Vincent Bread.” The crusty, hearty loaf is made withouth preservatives or shortening and fed the students and staff of Saint Vincent. It was also sold in the secular community where it earned a world-wide reputation.
In the 1990s insurance problems with the wooden mill seemed to leave no option other than demolition. But a creative plan by the Benedictines and the support of area foundations found a way to save it, preserving the last remaining vestige of Wimmer’s original physical plant, and a tradition of milling that has been uninterrupted since 1854.
The planning of Saint Vincent Gristmill's renovation was accomplished by several committees formed by Archabbots Paul Maher and Douglas Nowicki. The renovation was made possible by the generous donations from public and private organizations, including the America's Industrial Heritage Project, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Allegheny Foundation, the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation, the Pennsylvania Heritage Parks Program, and the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.
Phase one of the gristmill's renovation consisted of replacing the Insulbrick covered siding with cedar clapboard, installing a new metal roof with raised seams, installing new windows with aluminum window frames, and upgrading the electrical system. Shortly after the completion of phase one followed the commencement of phase two.
Phase two involved many renovations: zoning of heat, installation of a sprinkler system, paving and landscaping of the roadway and parking areas, installation of an ADA-compliant entrance to the mill, purchase of an upgraded security system and gate, development of a welcome center, installation of a museum center, construction of restrooms, installation of a lightning arrestor system, construction of a fire escape, repair and upgrade of the mill equipment, upgrade of the mill storage areas, work on the foundation, realignment of the drive-through, and upgrade of plumbing and utilities. Today, almost 150 years after the gristmill's construction, the dedication and sacrifices of many have resulted in the complete restoration of a historic symbol of America's agricultural heritage.
In recent years, production at the mill has slowed. Currently it still grinds enough flour for the Benedictines to enjoy Saint Vincent Bread, to make Holy Eucharist hosts for local churches, and to offer a limited amount of its rich, nutritious stone-ground flour to the public for sale.
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Millers of the Gristmill
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