WATCH: How the ‘mill’ at Jackson’s Mill actually works

WESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — WVU Jackson’s Mill wrapped up its Harvest Time at the Mill event Sunday evening, which gave visitors a chance to see what the property was really used for in the 18th and 19th centuries.

While you’ve probably heard of Jackson’s Mill, you might never have seen the actual mill in action. Harvest Time at the Mill held several demonstrations over the weekend, including blacksmithing and period-accurate home cooking, but Jackson’s Mill’s history coordinator Joe Obidzinski also offered demonstrations of a functioning gristmill throughout the day.

Grinding grain might not sound like the most interesting thing in the world, but the reality is that gristmills played a vital role in agricultural communities for hundreds of years. Obidzinski explained to 12 News that farmers in the surrounding area would come to Jackson’s Mill so they could turn raw grain into usable food ingredients or feed for their livestock.

“This was absolutely a business,” Obidzinski said. “You would bring whatever you had, the miller would keep a small share of it, they would grind up the rest of it, you got to take it home, [the miller] would have some of it that they could either use for themselves or they could then trade and barter with other things that they needed.”

Harvest Day at the Mill also had several craft vendors for items like handwoven baskets, handmade quilts and paintings.

If you want to learn more about Jackson’s Mill and what it’s used for today, you can visit the Jackson’s Mill website here .

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