Historic millstone relocated to McKeesport history center

The historic, 1,000-pound grist stone was once used for grinding grain into flour or meal.

For the MVI

An historic millstone is now part of the landscape outside of the McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center.

On Nov. 6, the Heritage Center and White Oak borough facilitated the relocation of a grain mill grinding stone, donated by the Rainbow Village Shopping Center.

They employed the expertise of Todd DiBeradin and his C&D Towing crew, who donated their time and equipment for the move.

The grist stone weighs approximately half a ton, or 1,000 pounds. It is large and heavy – having been used in a pair for grinding grain into flour or meal.

The term “grist” refers to both the individual stones and the grinding mechanism within a gristmill, where a stationary bottom stone, also known as the “bed stone,” and a rotating top stone or “runner stone” work together to grind.

“I’m very happy that this millstone made it from its old home on Lincoln Way to its new home in Renzie Park,” White Oak Mayor Ina Jean Marton said. “It’s wonderful to have a role in preserving the history of White Oak and to share that history with visitors of the Heritage Center.”

As history tells the story, a farmer named Sampson – note the modern- day Sampson’s Mill Church – had a daughter who married a McKeesport farmer named Oliver Evans. Their son, Oliver Evans Jr., inherited his grandfather’s mill property, which stretched across 96 acres overlooking what is now Lincoln Way.

Evans’ mill property was central to the area’s development before it was incorporated into White Oak borough in 1948.

“It’s a big part of our region’s history,” Heritage Center Vice President Sharon Soles said. “One of the reasons people started moving to this area was the farms and the jobs that came with them. Before industry took off in this area, we were a hunting-and-trapping colony and a farming community spread across rolling hills.”