Port of Whitman County plans to restore Oakesdale mill, but clock is ticking before historic building deteriorates

A historic flour mill on the Palouse was saved by a community effort to purchase it after it went on the market. Now begins the road to restore it.

Built in 1890, the J.C. Barron Mill is the last surviving mill of its kind in Whitman County, about 40 miles south of Spokane.

Towering four stories over the center of Oakesdale, the wooden structure remains an important symbol for the town whose summer festival, Old Mill Days, is named after it. Aside from occasional tours by former owners, its doors have been shut since 1960.

With the help of community donors, Spokane-based Innovia Foundation bought the property in May from MaryJane Butters, an organic farmer in Moscow, Idaho. The property was listed for $217,000.

Mayor Dennis Palmer said the people in town are enthused about it.

“The old mill is a piece of history, not just for Oakesdale, but the whole United States,” Palmer said. “It needs to be saved.”

The mill was originally built in Illinois before it was torn down piece by piece, shipped by rail then reassembled in Oakesdale.

Palmer said international visitors often stop to ask about the building and whether it is open.

A preliminary feasibility study Innovia commissioned found that the structure is salvageable, with restoration estimated to cost $6 million.

Innovia plans to transfer the property to the Port of Whitman County so it can oversee the project. The port has expertise in property management and development, port communications manager Rebekah Huber said.

The port anticipates it will be several years before the site is fully developed. The project is intended to increase job opportunities, support tourism and the local economy, as well as ensure the long-term viability of the mill, a news release from the port said.

The clock is ticking, however. The building needs to be repaired in the next five to 10 years, Huber said, before it deteriorates beyond repair.

The two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding last month to begin the transfer, which is expected to finish within a year, the memorandum says.

“Innovia Foundation is grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Port, the community of Oakesdale and generous donors to make this vital project a reality,” Innovia CEO Shelly O’Quinn said in a statement. “The renovation will create economic opportunity for Oakesdale and all of Whitman County.”

The transfer agreement will have provisions in case the port decides to sell the mill; the port would give first option to buy to the town of Oakesdale.

A community advisory committee will continue to fundraise and provide input on the restoration.

The port just received a $75,000 grant from the Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board for another feasibility study slated for completion in 2025 to assess viable economic uses for the building.

At recent meetings, the community suggested using it as a business incubator, event venue or museum. Other possible uses may include agriculture, retail or co-working spaces.