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HistoryFather Boniface Wimmer began to plan the gristmill's construction in the early 1850s. Local millwright George Washington Bollinger was given the task of designing the gristmill. The gristmill was completed in December 1854, costing about $3,000. The gristmill's construction is unique, for it was built almost completely out of wood, while nearly every other building on campus is made out of brick. Many farmers from the area made use of the gristmill for the storage and grinding of their grain. A great deal of flour was produced by the gristmill. In 1918, Fr. Gerard Bridge wrote, "From 1861 to the beginning of 1917, the monastery and college used 7,634,220 pounds of flour, valued at $237,077."