Saint Vincent Gristmill has been staple in Unity since 1854

In 1854, millers ground their first batch of flour at the Saint Vincent Gristmill, creating a facility that not only benefited the lay brothers but also surrounding farmers.

Located along Beatty County Road in Unity, the mill has been used for centuries to store wheat and other grains grown on the Saint Vincent farm as well as by area farmers. Those farmers also were permitted to grind grains at the mill, making it a staple within the local community.

That prominence has held true through the present day.

In 2001, a general store and museum opened, allowing guests to watch monks operate the grindstones to make products such as flour, bran and bread and pancake mix. Guests also can view exhibits involving the mill and learn about Saint Vincent’s early agricultural history. Various programs also are offered at the gristmill.

“For 168 years, members of our monastic community have interacted with our neighbors through the continuous operation of the Gristmill,” said the Rev. Philip Kanfush, O.S.B., procurator and CFO of the Saint Vincent Archabbey. Kanfush founded the general store.

According to the gristmill’s website, the facility was completed in 1854 at a cost of $3,000. It was based on a design by a local millwright, George Washington Bollinger.

The facility, which was unique for Saint Vincent because it was built almost entirely of wood while other buildings are made of brick, was constructed mainly by lay brothers. They utilized local products, including sandstone that the brothers quarried. Brick used on the chimney and basement walls were made in the monks’ brick ovens.

When the gristmill first opened, two sets of buhrstones were installed to grind grains. The stones, which each weigh one ton and are supported by iron bands, work together to grind wheat. The bottom stone is mounted on a platform, making it motionless. The top stone, powered by a steam engine, spins when in operation.

While they first were put into operation in 1854, officials quickly realized that they were not enough to keep up with demand, so they ordered another set from a French quarry.

That same year, an 18-foot sifting belt was installed. The machine takes whole wheat flour ground by the stones from the basement and up to the third floor through a bucket-and-belt elevator. There, it is sifted into unbleached flour, middlings and bran.

Over the years additional equipment, such as grain cleaners and a purifier, were purchased to help improve product quality.

Today, visitors to the gristmill are able to purchase products such as flour and bread, still made by the monks today.

“Our production of flour, continuous across that long legacy, is a way of ‘breaking bread’ with our patrons in much the same way Jesus did with his disciples,” said Kanfush.

“Everyone loves our bread. It brings back memories of days gone by, reminds us of our founding, and nourishes both body and spirit.”