Goldie Mill Chimney Black And White

by Debbie Oppermann

Title

Goldie Mill Chimney Black And White

Artist

Debbie Oppermann

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

"Goldie Mill Chimney Black And White" by Debbie Oppermann. Goldie Mill is located in Goldie Mill Park, at the northeast corner of Cardigan and Norwich Street, on the west bank of the Speed River, in Guelph Ontario Canada. This three-storey limestone building, now a ruin, was constructed in 1866. Goldie Mill was designated, by the City of Guelph, for its historic and architectural value.Goldie Mill is located on one of the most historic manufacturing sites in Guelph. In 1827, David Gilkison, a cousin of Guelph's founder John Galt, built the city's first sawmill on the site. In 1845, Doctors W. Clarke and H. Orton built the “Wellington Mills”, which was destroyed by a fire in 1850. Shortly after, the mill was rebuilt, in stone, and renamed “People's Mills”. After another fire, in 1864, the land was purchased by James Goldie, who enlarged and rebuilt the stone building, in 1866. As the owner of Goldie Mill, James was considered one of the leading flour manufacturers and dealers in Ontario.
The mill expanded and flourished under the care of the Goldie family, until it was sold in 1918. In 1929 a spring flood carried the dam away, ending milling operations on the site. A fire in 1953, completely destroyed the building, and it is now maintained as a ruin, by the Grand River Conservation Authority. During its life the Goldie Mill site also included a foundry, cooperage, distillery, piggery and tannery. The diverse and long-time use of the Goldie Mill contributed significantly to the growth and prosperity of Guelph. The mill has been characterized as a model flour mill in Canada.
The Goldie Mill ruin has thick stone walls, with double-reinforced stone lintels, an unusual type of construction in Ontario. The stone used in the construction is quarry-faced limestone which was procured from the mill property. The most striking feature of the site is the ninety-foot brick chimney which was built in 1966 and then in 2011 it was renovated to remove the steel grate at the top and the bottom door was sealed to remove drafts. All this was done for the Chimney Swift who build their nests inside chimneys and their population has decreased by about 95% so wonderful work by the City of Guelph and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

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March 28th, 2021

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