Easton Roller Mill Fall Festival to close mill’s return season Saturday
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MORGANTOWN - Since the city of Morgantown reopened the 159-year-old Easton Roller Mill to the public July 4, around 300 visitors have taken the opportunity to visit the industrial site turned living history museum.
With one day left on the site's 2026 events calendar, Vincent Kitch, Morgantown's director of arts and cultural development, said he's thrilled with the city's newest oldest asset.
"I think it's been a great first season. We were extremely fortunate over the past year to receive a number of grants that have allowed us to really transform the building, which has been in need of some repair for many years. We were able to build a new entryway deck and accessible ramp and pave the parking lot out front. So, it's much more accessible than it was. We were able to paint the mill and we put a new roof, gutters and downspouts on," he said.
"I feel like we've done a great job in preserving an important piece of Monongalia County history, and now we're seeing people really starting to take advantage of it. For me, I think it's been a great success, and I think the future possibilities for educational programs and outreach and all kinds of things out at the mill are really fantastic."
The city of Morgantown took ownership of the property in 2025 at the wishes of the Monongalia County Historical Society, which deeded it over along with $27,500 as part of its formal dissolution.
Kitch credits Jason Burns, Katie Donnelly and the staff behind the Morgantown History Museum for not only getting the site prepared for its reopening celebration on Independence Day, but also providing the kind of extra attention that make it a worthwhile destination for local history lovers.
"It's an open historic site. Prior to bringing in the public, our staff from the Morgantown History Museum, which oversees the mill, created all kinds of interpretive signage. There are artifacts on the walls and there are old tools and things. There's always someone there who can take you around and explain the history of the mill and the families, and how it operates," he said.
"Also, on certain weekends and occasions, like coming up this Saturday, we have a local volunteer who will actually fire up the mill itself - though it's no longer steam powered, it's compressed air - but the belts turn and the equipment moves and you get the experience of what it's like when the mill is operating."
As mentioned, the mill will open its doors to the public for the final time this season on Saturday as it plays host to the Easton Roller Mill Fall Festival from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. The free event will include mill tours, artisan vendors, Appalachian sounds from The Oakley Briarpickers, a fall-themed photo booth and a pumpkin or two.
While the old mill won't be pumping out city of Morgantown-branded cornmeal any time soon, Kitch said the city is excited about what the future holds for the belt-driven factory built by Philadelphia carpenter Henry Mack between 1864-1867.
The mill property, located on Easton Mill Road, was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1976. Estella Ley Pickenpaugh willed the mill to the Monongalia Historical Society around 1980.
"We've still got some things inside the mill that we want to shore up physically in terms of the structure. We want to do some work on the electrical system and the lighting because that hasn't been touched since like 1974," he said. "For the mill itself, we want to build out educational programming and tours. Of course, the Morgantown Learning Academy is next door so we're already in talks with them to see how we can engage, and we want to do the same thing with Mon County Schools. We want it to be a place where students can come when they're studying West Virginia history. I just think there's all kinds of potential for other community events. I could see people wanting to have weddings at the mill. Or what if a scout troop or some club wanted to have a kind of history sleepover at the property? The staff is just trying to be creative about all the different things at the mill in addition to educating people about the history of Mon County."
In addition to the Easton Roller Mill Fall Festival, the city is hosting a Halloween Spooktacular starting at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Ruby Amphitheater.
The event will begin with a trunk-or-treat before screenings of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” at 5 p.m. and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at 7 p.m.