A historic saw mill southeast of Peterborough, Ont. was found vandalized earlier this week.
The Friends of Hope Mill say while on a walk on Wednesday, neighbours discovered the storage area of the saw mill was damaged. The individuals reported the damage to the non-profit organization and to Peterborough County OPP.
Located on the Indian River near the village of Keene, about 20 kilometres southeast of Peterborough, Hope Mill is a pioneer water-powered sawmill that was originally established in 1835 as a mill for processing wool. It was converted to a saw mill in the 1880s.
The mill was run by the Hope family until the 1960s.
After being unused for decades, a group of volunteers in 2000 started to restore the building. It’s now overseen by the non-profit Friends of Hope Mill group which offers free guided tours and demonstrations of sawing every Thursday from mid-April to late October.
The organization says on Thursday it aims to repair the damage, including rebuilding some siding, and repairing doors and locks. The group also intends to add enhanced security features at the building.
The mill will still be open on Thursday to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.