Sugartree Mill Co. was built in 1881 as a gristmill in Wilmington, Ohio. (Photo from Sugartree Mill Co.)

By Ken Drenten

The mill once known as the H.A. Barrett & Son Mill in Wilmington now houses Sugartree Mill Co., specializing in a wide variety of antique and vintage-look home decor items.

The original three-story brick gristmill was built in 1881 as a steam-powered flour mill, but the mill went bankrupt in 1912. The building was sold to H.A. Barrett & Son, which converted it into a feed mill operation serving the local farming community.

A second elevator and coal yard were added to the complex as well as other feed handling equipment.

The Barrett family sold the mill in 1944 to Master Feed Mill & Elevator, which continued to operate as a feed mill. A major fire struck the mill in 1947, and charred areas can still be seen in the mill’s interior. The feed mill continued to operate as the Clinton Grain Co. until the 1970s. It served uses including a storage facility and recycling center until the 1990s, when Robert and David Mead purchased and renovated the building.

The Meads opened an antique mall, Shoppes at the Olde Mill, in 1995. A co-located business, Home Again II, sold home decor and collectibles.

Sugartree Mill Co. houses a wealth of timeless goods and antiques to help customers transform their houses into homes. (Photo from Sugartree Mill Co.)

Randy and Diane Dell, owners of Champion Bridge Co. and constant admirers of the mill from across the street, purchased the mill in July 2019 with a vision for restoring the building. Their plan was to preserve its historical roots while cultivating a space of timeless goods and antiques to help others transform their houses into homes. 

“Having a large family of creators and dreamers helped make this crazy dream a reality,” Diane Dell said. “We source both antiques and home goods for cultivating homes and sourcing unique and thoughtful gifts.”

Sugartree Mill Co. offers carefully selected home goods and antique items including pillows and throws, accents, wall decor, floor decor, organization items, kitchen items, paper and stationery, candles, bath & body items, floral, lifestyle items and items for infants and children. Many items are produced by local crafters and artists.

Sugartree Mill Co. also aims to serve homemakers by connecting them with beautiful and unique antiques and home goods, community events and educational workshops.  

Sugartree Mill Co. is located at E. 316 Sugartree St., Wilmington, phone (937) 655-8181. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Learn more about mills in Ohio at Dusty Tires.

Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

Subscribe to Dusty Tires and receive a weekly email with the latest blog article. It’s free and ad-free!

     All rights reserved, Dusty Tires (dusty-tires.com), 2024.