Historians and the curious were recently granted a rare look inside the inner workings of the Old Mill on Blairstown’s Main Street.
The massive water wheel that once was the center of commerce in Blairstown’s early days was on display, thanks to arrangements by Blair Academy and the Blairstown Historic Preservation Committee. This year — 2025 — marks 200 years since the mill started turning.
The Historic Preservation Committee’s Christine Beegle and other members of the group hosted visitors throughout the day on the Fourth of July.
Beegle explained that because the building is in use by Blair Academy, it can only be opened to the public occasionally.
“But it’s a great visit,” Beegle said. “There is a lot of history here.”
That history began in 1824 when William Hankinson bought 150 acres of land from M. Robert Buttz for $3,000 and opened the mill the following year. Hankinson died just five years later at age 50. His will named John I. Blair as executor, who then purchased the land and the mill in 1833.
Meanwhile, the Main Street district grew up around the mill, which was leased to a number of different operators throughout the 19th century. When Blair died in 1899, the mill was left to his nephew John Vail, but it soon fell into disrepair and was considered an eyesore.
That’s when Blair Academy stepped in. The school purchased the mill in 1902 and completed major renovations, giving the building the appearance familiar to residents today.
Milling operations continued until 1932, when the building was used as a feed store for a few years. By 1935, however, it had fallen into disuse.
After sitting vacant for several years, the Blairstown Women’s Club established a small library on the second floor of the mill. That library eventually became the Blairstown Public Library, later renamed the Catherine Dickson Hofman library, which served Blairstown and surrounding communities for more than 50 years until it moved into a new building on Lambert Road.
In 1980, the Old Mill achieved a level of international infamy when it served as the backdrop for the opening scenes of “Friday the 13th,” the film that helped launch the slasher genre.
In recent years, Blair Academy made additional renovations to convert the former library space into housing for faculty.
Now, 200 years after its first turn, the Blairstown Mill stands ready to begin its next chapter.
Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
