Lanterman Mill
Also known as: Old Mill
Why it's listed
Beside a twenty-three-foot waterfall in Mill Creek Park, Youngstown, stands a two-and-a-half-story frame grist mill on a sixty-foot cut sandstone foundation. Built in 1845-46 by German Lanterman and Samuel Kimberley, it needed eighty men and twenty teams of horses to complete. It is the third mill on the site. Isaac Powers and Phineas Hill built a log mill there in 1797-99, the first grist mill in the Western Reserve, and Eli Baldwin built a larger frame mill in 1823 that a flood washed away in 1843. The present building has oak framing, bevel siding and a gabled roof with returns. It ran as a flour mill until about 1888 and became part of the park in 1892. A natural history museum opened on its first floor in 1933. Only two buhrstones remain of the equipment. It was recognized as a good example of the grist mills that once served Ohio communities.
Significance in brief: It is the third mill on its site, which held the first grist mill in the Western Reserve. The nomination calls it a good example of a local industrial building type that once numbered in the hundreds along Ohio's streams. It is one of only a few such mills still standing in the state.
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 74001568, listed July 10, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Canfield Rd. (U.S. 62) in Mill Creek Park, Youngstown |
|---|---|
| County | Mahoning County |
| Listed | July 10, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001568 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1845-46) |
| Architect / builder | German Lanterman and Samuel Kimberley |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition, owned by the park district and used as a museum; original milling equipment is gone except two buhrstones. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Within district | Mill Creek Park Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.06678, -80.68201 (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 74001568.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q123916861
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.