The property was home to the Backhouse family from the 1790s to 1956, when the property was purchased by Big Creek Conservation Authority. The Backhouse Mill was built in 1798 to grind grain into flour for the local community. This mill is one of the few mills in Norfolk County to survive the War of 1812 and continue production throughout the crucial years of rebuilding after the war. The Backhouse family operated the mill until 1956 when the property was purchased by the Conservation Authority. In 1998, the Backhouse Mill was designated a National Historic Site as one of Canada’s oldest and most well-preserved examples of the small-scale, water-powered establishments found throughout much of the country in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Visit the mill to see how stone-ground flour was produced throughout the mill’s operating years.
Visitors to the Backhouse Historic Site will also discover the 1852 Backus family Homestead, a provincial historic site, along with a collection of historic buildings including a rare octagonal schoolhouse, log cabins, barns, and carriage and blacksmith shops. Try your hand at historic activities as you discover life before modern conveniences.
