Pioneer Mill of Tiffin has been a restaurant since 1974 and was originally built in 1822. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

By Ken Drenten

The Pioneer Mill of Tiffin was built in 1822 by Josiah Hedges along the Sandusky River in the city that is now the county seat of Seneca County. During the War of 1812, Gen. James Hedges served at Fort Ball, one of the fortified supply depots Gen. William Henry Harrison ordered built.

Impressed with the area, Hedges convinced his brother Josiah to visit. Josiah purchased land across from the fort and immediately began to develop a town, which he named after Edward Tiffin, the first governor of Ohio and a U.S. senator. Hedges built Pioneer Mill in 1822, along with a wooden dam and his home – the first structures in Tiffin.

A fire in 1875 destroyed the original wooden mill, but the current mill building was constructed on the original foundation. The Great Flood of 1913 devastated much of the area, but Pioneer Mill survived. The flood left a two-acre island of bricks and paving stones near the mill.

In 1921, a carriage house was built and a new stone dam constructed just inf front of the original wooden dam. Another fire struck in 1937, nearly gutting the mill and partially destroying the back wall. The building was rebuilt without the third floor of pillars on the second floor. The milling equipment was replaced and the mill continued to grind flour and meal until 1950.

Pioneer Mill Restaurant is on the National Register of Historic Places. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

The building had a number of uses including a feed store and carpentry shop until 1973, when it was purchased for development as a restaurant. The Pioneer Mill of Tiffin Restaurant opened in October 1974 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The restaurant is known for prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood specials, soups and salads, onion rings and old-fashioned corn fritters, as well as its extensive selection of fine wines. The restaurant hosts banquets, conferences, weddings, receptions, rehearsals and provides catering services. The mill’s heavy beams can be easily viewed in its dining areas, and mill wheels are part of the restaurant’s décor in its Waterwheel Room.

Pioneer Mill Restaurant is located at 255 Riverside Drive, Tiffin (419) 448-0100.

Read about more historic Ohio mills in Dusty Tires.

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

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