There is a great deal of good news to report!
Another Grant! Thanks to the Society for Industrial Archeology and CME Associates, Chamberlin Mill, Inc. will be able to complete plans and specifications this summer for structural rehabilitation of the mill.
In a highly competitive national grant climate, Chamberlin Mill, Inc. is particularly grateful to receive funding from the Society for Industrial Archeology. It is equally appreciative of very generous matching funds provided by CME Associates, Inc. of Woodstock, CT. CME earlier participated in funding the Mill's feasibility study, and has supported the effort to preserve the mill since its inception.
Evelyn Cole Smith, Principal Architect with CME, will complete the construction documents. Smith is a certified preservation architect with a strong restoration track record. We are very lucky to have her aboard for this project.
Mill roof patched. Funds donated by Friends of Chamberlin Mill allowed us to hire Leo Morissette to patch a few emerging roof leaks this spring, and to caulk other areas that seemed a bit dodgy. Thank you to the Friends who contributed to this small but necessary interim stabilization project. The metal roofing, dating probably to the 1960s, has been a prime factor in assuring the Mill's structural condition into the 21st century. But, it is reaching the end of its useful life. Our plan is to try to limp by with patching until the structure is permanently stabilized, a process best accomplished from the foundation upward.
Logs are cleared. Volunteers have begun clearing logs remaining from trees felled to allow sunlight to reach the Mill's western wall. Thanks Barbara Bocchino, Ed Bezanson, Andy Quigley, Jean McClellan, and George, Clifford and William French.
Funds are growing toward mill rehabilitation. As we continue to build a base of funding from Friends of Chamberlin Mill and others, research is well underway for sources of matching grants that will support foundation repair, the first step toward the Mill's long-term rehabilitation. Thanks to all who have contributed to this effort!
Lane #1 Saw parts donated. Jim and Paul Tumel have donated a trove of Lane #1 saw parts to Chamberlin Mill, Inc. With the assistance of Peter Olshewski and Andy Quigley, these parts are now in storage, and are being inventoried. Many thanks to all. When the inventory is complete, we will know what remaining parts we will need for restoration of the Mill's 1873 Lane #1 circular saw. With the important Tumel donation, we are well on our way to being able to resurrect the old saw.
Exciting developments are underway for the 1928 Studebaker President engine that was critical in keeping the Mill operational into the 1960s after destruction of the dam in the Great Flood of 1936. The engine, which remained on site until the Mill was cleared out preparatory to a 2010 conditions assessment, has been in storage since. This spring, thanks to the efforts of volunteer Nate Rosebrooks and board member, Andy Quigley, the engine has been removed from its chassis section, and prepared for transport to Mystic Seaport, where Nate and other Seaport engine repair volunteers will work on its restoration.
(Photo above from left to right) Jock McClellan, Frank Olah, Nate Rosebrooks, and Andy Quigley move the engine into summer storage.
Meanwhile, volunteer Frank Olah has established a very special Studebaker family connection for the Mill, which has already led to knowledge about blueprint location and potential sources of parts. Many thanks, Frank.
For more information about the Studebaker story, check out "The Mill" tab.