Tay Valley Township Recognizes Historic Ritchie Sawmill

Tay Valley Township Recognizes Historic Ritchie Sawmill

Amongst the Last Water-powered Mills in the Region

Tay Township Council has announced recognition of the Ritchie Sawmill as a legacy property under the municipality’s Heritage Properties Program. The well-known Ritchie Mill, located on the Tay River at Noonan Sideroad, was built in the 1840s by William Ritchie and closed in 1970.

The mill was owned and operated for over 40 years by the prominent Ritchie family, including William’s daughter Elizabeth and husband Nathan Judson, and sons Robert and John. With timber supplies diminished in the late 1800s, the mill and water rights were sold in 1900 to the Perth Electric Light Company, and the mill joined three other Tay River mills supplying power to the newly electrified town. From 1924 to 1963, local residents knew this mill site as the Adams Mill, operated by Carl (Carrol) Adams, a grandson of the founders of Glen Tay, Joshua and Elisabeth Adams. 

Andrew A. Allan operated the mill until 1970, still powered by the Tay River, one of two last water-powered mills in the township. The mill is also one of only two historic township sawmills still in place. The mill and property are now owned by Jenn and Rick Potoma. Please note that the mill is on private property.

The Heritage Properties Recognition Program acknowledges Tay Valley Township’s long and diverse indigenous and settler history, and the wealth of heritage properties that define our community. Properties eligible to receive recognition include buildings that have historic or cultural significance to the community, structures such as monuments, cemetery markers or bridges, and heritage landscapes and archaeological sites. This program is commemorative and carries no legal restrictions for properties. For further information please visit https://www.tayvalleytwp.ca/HeritagePropertiesProgram/.

For further information about applying for the program contact:
Laurie Hudson-Craig, Corporate Administrative Assistant
Tay Valley Township
217 Harper Road, Perth, ON K7H 3C6
613-267-5353 ext. 110
corporateassistant@tayvalleytwp.ca

Photo Caption:
Presentation of Heritage Certificate to the Potoma family by Tay Valley Township Deputy Reeve Barrie Crampton (Photo by David Zimmerly)

Photo Caption:
The 180 year-old Ritchie Sawmill, from the Tay River Mill Pond, in 2011 (Photo by David Taylor)