Daisy Flour Mill, Inc.
Also known as: Dugway Mills; Sperry Mills
Why it's listed
Six acres along Irondequoit Creek on Blossom Road hold a working flour mill and three mill workers' houses. The mill was built in 1848 as a rectangular, gable-roofed building, two and a half stories above a basement. Much of its hewn and sawn timber framing survives, though the board-and-batten siding dates from 1966, a square addition was made in 1912 and a silo and loading dock were added on the east side. The houses date from the 1840s, about 1870 and the 1890s, showing a progression of styles. Rochester was the nation's leading flour-milling center in the decades after the Erie Canal opened, before Buffalo and later Minneapolis overtook it. A century on, this mill was the only one with a Rochester address still grinding flour. It ran on water power until a freeze and thaw destroyed the dam in 1934, then switched to diesel and later electricity, using equipment dating from the 1890s.
Significance in brief: The mill has operated continuously since 1848 and is described as the only mill with a Rochester address still grinding flour, in a city that led the nation in flour milling between the Erie Canal and the Civil War. Its equipment dates from the 1890s. The workers' houses, mill race and creek together form a milling environment of educational, engineering and historical value.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 72000855, listed June 26, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1880 Blossom Rd., Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | June 26, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000855 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in operation as a flour mill; condition rated fair, with alterations noted. Preservation work is marked as in progress. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.14627, -77.51205 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 72000855.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5209712
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.