Spring is here!

Even with the long, cold winter, we’ve been no less productive at Manor Mill, a pre-revolutionary grist mill that has been going through a serious face lift over the last 18 months. And we felt it was high time to send a newsletter with an update on all of the activity.

A Room With a View

Let’s start with the windows. Rotting sashes and jambs and a lot of loose and broken panes all led to a critical and tough decision to replace them. Exact replicas were made by local master carpenter and cabinet maker Josh Brumfield. The historic glass panes (60 windows, 120 sashes, 720 panes!) were pulled from the original sashes by local artist Lynne Jones who then fit and glazed each one into the new sashes once they were painted. This took hours and hours and hours, with help from senior from Park School, Ty Miller and many friends of the community. Windows and jambs were carefully installed by Andy Brooks of Sunshine Construction.

Never were bathrooms so exciting

Meanwhile, after a year of planning and surveying, a new septic plan has been developed and approved by Baltimore County, ready to get installed in July. The septic will include a state-of-the-art pre-treatment component that will help reduce the environmental impact and lengthen the life of the drain fields, which are being installed further up the ridge behind the house. Why is this so exciting? Well, for one, the Mill has never had a bathroom (or running water for that matter), so that seemed like step one. Secondarily, having a modern septic system is essential for the long-term sustainability of the property in general.

Miller for a weekend

The Miller’s House is ready! It’s been a lot of paint, patching and scrubbing, but it’s also led to all sorts of upcycling of materials and tools found around the property, as well as reupholstering some great pieces of furniture left behind. The end result is a quaint, very comfortable, historic two bedroom house that is fully furnished and ready to take visitors interested in a relaxing weekend stay, or possible artist-in-residence who want to make most of the mill’s coming offerings. You can reserve it now! http://www.monktonhotel.com/millershouse

Manor Mill Barrel Works

Who knew people loved barrels so much? Sometimes it seemed like there was more interest in the 100s of barrels strewn across the property than the grist mill. Working with some local carpenters, arborists and handy neighbors, we’ve created a few barrel products that are worth checking out! We’re particularly excited by the Glow Barrels, created by local artist Jack Robbins, which feature hand-cut stars or trout (or other shape if you’re interested), a solid maple top, milled from wood on the property, and light from the inside. There’s also an Adirondack chair, a barrel end table and a barrel coffee table, all made by local artisans. Proceeds from the sale will go to supporting the artists as well as the Mill’s restoration. Take a look!

Zebra Barn

The existing barn needed quite a bit of love, which explains the new battens and Dutch doors to finish it and make it more protected from the weather --  and a great sight from the road (you’ll have to drive by to see what I mean). Local restoration and barn-builder Robert Jones and his co-worker Doug Shepperd are to thank for their help and talent making the most of the existing conditions.

So… what’s the plan?

After a lot of conversations with Baltimore County and lots of people in the community, we will be opening a learning and creative center and are in the process of developing hands-on classes, lectures and workshops related to arts (painting, screen printing, folk arts), historic preservation, outdoors, woodworking (hand tools, bowl turning, etc)  as well as mindfulness training, yoga and the like. The Mill will then serve as a constant creative background for all the work being created, with art all over the property, indoors and outdoors.

There is still a lot to be figured out, but we hope to pilot some programs this summer to gauge what programs people are most interested in. Instructional yoga has already begun and over time will include short trail “yoga hikes” around the property (see below for more!). Additionally, the Mill will have small studios to rent, will feature art shows and will provide a terrific space for professional development and organizational retreats.

Artist looking for a studio? Reserve your spot!

If you are an artist looking for a small studio space, the Mill is about as good as it gets. Spaces will not be available until Spring, 2022 (though we’re trying hard to make it sooner!), but we encourage you to sign up on our wait list if you would like to be informed as things progress.

Yoga!

Interested in taking outdoor yoga instruction at the Mill. There will be classes Friday, May 21, 7:30-8:30 pm for Sunset community yoga and Saturday, May 29, 8-10:30 am Yoga Immersion. Sign up before it gets full! Email Stephanie Snyder for details.

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