Living History on the banks of the Stevens River in Barnet, Vermont

Our Mission Statement

To preserve and restore Ben's Mill for all visitors, serving as an institution for education, interpretation and a museum of living history .  

Ben's Mill Trust
P.O. Box 50
Barnet, Vermont
05821
(802) 748-8180
Email us!

Ben's Mill is located in Barnet, Vermont on the West Barnet Rd., about 2.5 miles west of I-91.  The mill is open from Memorial Day weekend until Columbus Day, Sat. and Sun., 11 AM - 3 PM. 
For tours, please call Hiram Allen at (802) 748-8180. 

About Ben's Mill

At the geographic center of Barnet, on the Stevens River, is Ben Thresher s Mill. The mill dates to 1872 and includes a woodworking shop that first specialized in wagon wheels and bodies, then in stone boats and other working sleds, and finally truck bodies and water tubs for cows. An adjacent blacksmith's forge allowed relevant metal work. A third section of the structure houses a hydraulic apple cider press. All the woodworking machinery is in working order, and it is belt-driven from a shafting arrangement in the cellar of the mill. The shafts are also belt-driven, and the primary power source is a water-powered turbine, backed-up by a gasoline engine. The mill dam, which provides the water source for the turbine, is presently in a state of disrepair. The last mill owner/operator was the talented and resourceful Ben Thresher. Year-round, from 1941 until his untimely passing in 1995, he operated a thriving mill, meeting the repair and fabrication needs of people from Barnet and neighboring towns

Ben's Mill Trust

In 1999, Lois and Hiram Allen bought the mill and turned it over to a community nonprofit, the Ben's Mill Trust. The Trust is a federally and state approved 501(c)3 non-profit.
Partnerships with the school, historical societies (town and state), selectmen, a state archaeologist, and the Preservation Trust of Vermont led to grant funding, in 2002, to restore the mill exterior, roof, and foundation. Since then, the trust has repaired the belts and shafting, restored machinery to working conditions, established the forge as a functional space, and completed a full-size mock-up of the cider press. Most recently, on August 22, 2009, the turbine penstock was reconstructed using local cedar boards milled for the job on the mill's machinery.
Ben's Mill Trust's success centers around volunteers, membership, and donations. Should you be interested in participating in this historic and rewarding endeavor, please contact us.

The Future of the Mill

The Trust Board of Directors is committed to restoring water power to the mill. Repair of the crib dam requires permit approvals from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR). In today's environment, the approval process is generally very lengthy and difficult. The Board has a dialogue in progress with the ANR regarding the restoration process.

SLM for Ben's Mill Trust. 2010

  Ben's Mill Gear and DVD
for sale!
See our selection of hats,
Tshirts and the Odyssey series DVD here.

Ducky Day 2013
Sat. Oct. 5
11 AM at the Mill
Always the 1st Sat. in October
 Great prizes! Breathtaking daredevil rubber ducky action!
BUY YOUR DUCKS NOW!