Indian Mill
Also known as: Indian Mill State Memorial
Why it's listed
Indian Mill is a three-story, oak-framed gristmill on the Sandusky River northeast of Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Built in 1861 by millwright Lewis Rummel for owner George Myers, it measures 30 by 40 feet. Its construction is unique in Ohio, borrowing covered bridge methods, with cross trusses held by steel rods and bolts forged on the site, which made the building unusually sturdy. Three turbines were installed after the water turbine was patented in 1862. The name comes from earlier mills, a gristmill and a sawmill built upstream in 1820 by the U.S. government in appreciation of Wyandot loyalty during the War of 1812. Those mills served the Wyandot reservation until the tribe's removal to Kansas in 1843. The John Finkle family later ran the present mill for more than 50 years. It was given to the State of Ohio in 1953, restored in 1968, and now serves as a museum of early Ohio milling, though low river levels prevent it from operating.
Significance in brief: The mill is significant mainly as a reflection of early Ohio milling, with a design unique in the state that uses covered bridge construction with cross trusses secured by site-forged steel rods and bolts. It has a secondary, derived association with the Wyandot Indians, because it replaced mills the U.S. government built in 1820 for them. The original mills stood 300 feet upstream and are gone.
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 70000525, listed November 10, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3.5 mi. NE of Upper Sandusky on Crane Twnshp. Rd., Upper Sandusky |
|---|---|
| County | Wyandot County |
| Listed | November 10, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000525 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1861) |
| Architect / builder | Lewis Rummel, millwright, hired by George Myers; restoration under D. W. Garber |
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored by The Ohio Historical Society in 1968 and open to the public as a museum of early milling; condition listed as good. Lack of water prevents operation as a working mill. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 40.86339, -83.25430 (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 70000525.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q96968800
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.