Please note that the Morningstar Mill will be closed to the public for the 2024 operating season due to construction and restoration work happening at the site. Access to the Bruce Trail will still be open along the side of the property but there will be no on-site parking beginning June 3, 2024 until Nov. 30, 2024.
The Morningstar Mill is a picturesque heritage site located at 2714 Decew Rd. The Mill backs onto the Bruce Trail and Decew Falls and is a popular picnic, hiking and historic destination for residents and visitors alike.
Tours of Morningstar Mill and the Morningstar's home are free. Donations are welcome.
About Morningstar Mill
Morningstar Mill is a rural industrial heritage site featuring a working grist mill that was rebuilt in 1872. The Mill is owned by the City of St. Catharines and is operated in partnership with the Friends of Morningstar Mill.
A brief history
Wilson Morningstar operated Mountain Mills from 1883 to 1933. He ground wheat into flour and chopped oats, corn, rye and barley into animal feed. In November 1892, a fire destroyed the interior of the grist mill. This gave Wilson the opportunity to update his milling operation with the latest equipment - a two-break, three-reduction Greey Roller Mill system which produced white flour. At the time, roller ground white flour had become very popular for baking because it was whiter and finer than flour made with traditional millstones.
Wilson purchased a grain cleaner, a corn cob sheller, an oat roller and an attrition mill for grinding grain into animal feed. Around 1911, when a doctor told Wilson that whole grain flour was healthier than white flour, Wilson installed a pair of traditional millstones which produced stone-ground whole-wheat flour.
The Morningstar home was built around 1895 by two carpenters from Thorold with lumber from Wilson's sawmill. The house features scalloped clapboard siding, and ball and spindle gingerbread. When the house was first built, it was heated with wood in the spring and fall, and coal in the winter. Drinking water was retrieved from a well, and water for cleaning and washing was collected in a cistern. Wilson also produced his own electricity for lighting the mill and house from about 1904 to 1914. The interior of the house was restored to 1932 and showcases many pieces of furniture that were owned by the Morningstar family.
By 1930, Wilson had gradually shut down his flour mill business. After Wilson died in 1933, Wilson's family continued to produce animal feed for local farmers on the occasional weekend for a few years until the turbine seized.
Wilson and his wife, Emma, occupied the house throughout their lifetimes. When Wilson died, Wilson's oldest daughter and her family moved back into the house, and her children (Wilson's grandchildren) lived in the house until 1991. Wilson's granddaughter gave the contents of the mill and house to the City of St. Catharines in 1994.
Today, Morningstar Mill is one of the few mills in Ontario that houses all its original equipment, and operates its millstones using its original water source. The operation of the mill and the conservation of the buildings and property are made possible by the City of St. Catharines and the ongoing efforts and support of the Friends of Morningstar Mill and the community.
The Friends of Morningstar Mill
The Friends of Morningstar Mill is a group of volunteers dedicated to preserving the Mill and interpreting the rich history of this historic site. Find out how you can get involved and volunteer with the Friends of Morningstar Mill.