Backhouse Mill: Repairing an iconic Norfolk landmark

The historic Backhouse Mill, originally built in 1798, remains one of the oldest and best-preserved water powered mills in Canada.

Leah Bauer

Advocate Contributor

Whether you are a history buff, a fan of scenic nature, or just someone who grew up around the area, it is likely that you have heard about the Backhouse Mill. 

The Backhouse Mill has been an important and cherished landmark in Norfolk for centuries. While the Millhouse was retired from its original duty of providing the community with flour in 1956, its legacy and importance continues nonetheless. In 1998 the Backhouse Mill was designated a National Historic Site since it is one of Canada’s oldest, still standing, water-powered grist mills.

These past weeks Backhouse Mill has been competing in The Next Great Save, in hopes to earn a grant which would give them $50,000 towards structural repairs. While they were unable to acquire the $50,000, Backhouse Mill received thousands of votes proving its importance to the Norfolk community. According to Long Point Settlers, an impressive collection of the history and settlement of Norfolk County compiled by R. Robert Mutrie, the Backhouse family originated from John Backhouse, who left his native England in 1793. Originally, he spent a few years in New York and New Jersey, then moved north to the Niagara region before arriving in the Long Point Settlement near Walsingham in 1798.

As an early settler, Backhouse used his land in Walsingham to build a water-powered grist mill in 1798. The mill was the first in the township, and played a crucial role in providing flour to the community during and after the War of 1812. The significance of the mill was heightened by the fact that it was one of the few mills overlooked by the American Brig. General Duncan McArthur during his 1814 mill-burning raid.

Long Point Settlers reiterates the common story those who grew up going to Backhouse Mill will quickly recall. As the story goes, other mills in the area were being burned in the infamous war campaign which aimed to interfere with Canadian provisions by removing the ability for self-sufficient flour production. As Major of the 1st Norfolk Militia, Backhouse stationed himself in Turkey Point with “two or three hundred militiamen.” It is “alleged by the old settlers” that Backhouse prevented a landing of the Americans at Fort Norfolk (a small fort in the hills of Turkey Point) by “making a vain display of his bright red uniform on the heights above, while the enemy was approaching the fort.”

While the lore surrounding why the Backhouse Mill survived is largely a mix of hearsay and local pride, there is one thing that is impossible to debate; Backhouse Mill is one of the oldest and best-preserved water powered mills in Canada, making it very historically significant.

Today, Backhouse Mill is a historic site, and it is visited by hundreds of people every year for the iconic War of 1812 reenactments at Backus Heritage Conservation Area, as well as for a variety of other tours and events.

Chloe Anna, curator for the Long Point Region Conservation Authority, and Jessica King, the Marketing and Social Media Associate, highlighted the importance of the Backhouse Historic Site, stating the Mill “showcases the incredible family legacy of the Backhouses. In our community the mill represents the hardworking local residents and their resilience during times of trouble.”

This legacy lives: “Today it is a major piece of our historic village where we host programs, tours and community events.”

Chloe, Jessica, and the team at Long Point Region Conservation Authority, are working tirelessly to find ways to keep this important historical building preserved for generations to come. They described how they “had a structural assessment done at the end of 2025” which revealed the Mill had severe structural damages. This means that tours are no longer possible inside the Mill that houses “technology that is over 200 years old.”

To counter this, LPRCA has been applying for various grants, including The Next Great Save, a contest that did not prove successful for the attainment of a grant, but did demonstrate the special place this historic building has in the hearts of thousands of people in Norfolk. Those interested in making a donation towards the Backhouse Mill, and the Long Point Region Conservation Authority’s goal of fixing the structural issues can make a donation online at: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/144784.