|
The
focus
of
COHS
at
this
time
is
the
restoration
of
the
Brent’s
Grist
Mill
Heritage
Park
site.
The
Society
is
working
hard
to
secure
gifts
in-kind,
grants
and
contributions
to
complete
the
extensive
work
required
to
return
this
mill
to
a
useful
purpose.
Work began on the house restoration in the fall of 2009. The roof has been reshingled and the front profile of the house has been returned to its 1908 appearance.
In 2002, the mill, the Brent house and the milk house were moved from their original site on Pion Creek (which later became known as Mill Creek) to a new site on the corner of Leckie Road and Dilworth Drive in Kelowna. New foundations were installed and the buildings are currently in place waiting for the next step in their renovation to begin. The new park will be called Brent’s Grist Mill Heritage Park, and has been designated as a Municipal Heritage Site. The buildings and land are owned by the City of Kelowna and the COHS has worked with the city on the development of the new park site plan and the restoration of the Brent-Fleming House.
The proposed site plan with landscaping, when completed, will be a key piece on the Mill Creek Linear Parkway - a highly visible and accessible piece of Kelowna's agricultural history.
" ... It took a ship, freight wagon, river steamer, a borrowed home-made wagon, row boat, and horse-drawn sledge to get the mill to its new home on Brent's land. It was a testimony to pioneer determination ..." Read more about Brent's Mill on the Virtual Museum website.
|
The
history
and
significance
of
the
Brent’s
Grist
Mill
has
long
been
established.
The
mill
is
known
to
have
been
the
first
industrial
enterprise
in
the
Okanagan
Valley
,
the
oldest
surviving
grist
mill
building
in
British
Columbia
,
and
an
important
part
of
the
pioneering
history
of
Kelowna
.The
Grist
Mill
was
built
in
1871
by
Frederick
Brent,
one
of
the
earliest
settlers
in
the
Kelowna
area.
In
addition
to
his
home,
Frederick
Brent
set
out
to
construct
a
purpose-built
grist
mill
of
hand-hewn
pine
logs
and
whip-sawn
lumber.
Brent
then
set
out
to
import
a
portable
mill,
complete
with
a
set
of
mill
stones,
to
bring
his
vision
to
life.
Brent
ordered
a
portable
mill,
a
hopper
and
other
supplies
necessary
to
complete
the
mill
from
San
Francisco.
The
equipment
traveled
by
sailing
ship,
freight
wagon,
river
steamer,
borrowed
home-made
wagon,
row
boat,
and
horse
drawn
sledge
to
its
new
home
on
the
Brent’s
homestead.
The
mill
was
an
immediate
success.
Settlers
from
up
and
down
the
lake,
and
local
natives,
brought
their
grain
to
be
ground
into
flour.
Sometimes
a
dozen
camps
would
be
seen
set
up
along
the
creeks,
waiting
their
turn
at
the
mill.
Often
men
and
boys
would
amuse
themselves
by
holding
pony
races
and
contests
in
the
near-by
fields. 
In
order
for
his
children
to
attend
Father
Pandosy’s
school
in
the
Okanagan
Mission,
Mr.
Brent
built
a
thirty-foot
long
Ponderosa
Pine
log
house
with
a
rectangular
profile.
The
house
has
undergone
various
forms
of
renovation
over
the
years.
When
the
house
is
completely
restored
it
will
be
to
its
visual
appearance
in
1908.
