About the Stover Mill

The Stover Mill was built in 1832. It was operated as a gristmill, grinding wheat and corn for the residents of Erwinna, PA, until 1932. In the early 1900s, power from the mill’s turbines was also used to generate electricity for the village of Erwinna.
From 1932 until 1955 the Stover Mill was used as a storehouse for the sale of grain, flour and feed.
In 1957, the owner, John J. Stover, donated the mill to the Tinicum Civic Association. At the same time Mr. Stover gave 126 acres and buildings that make up Tinicum Park to Bucks County.
In 1959, the Stover Mill Gallery was established, and in the 1960s the Tinicum Civic Association began to renovate the Mill for use as its association headquarters, a community meeting hall, a library and the art gallery.
In 1979, the Stover Mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1981, the Tinicum Township supervisors allocated a $60,000 federal grant for restorations to the Mill. In this restoration, two of the three lower-level support beams were reinforced.
Over the winter of 2001/2002, the structure of the Stover Mill was temporarily stabilized on an emergency basis until a permanent restoration could be undertaken.
Over the winter of 2002/2003, the first phase of a permanent restoration was done. The first phase removed the sag and reinforced the upper three floors. This phase cost $45,000, all of which was raised by the TCA.
In 2012, the Stover Mill Restoration Project was completed. The restoration reduced the deflection of the structural support beams at the first, second and attic levels; reinforced the structure at the lower level over the water in the turbine bay, which has suffered deterioration due of its exposure to the elements; repaired the existing stonework and existing structure at the lower level, and restored the top three floors in keeping with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Recommendations for historic buildings.

Cultural and Historic Value of the Stover Mill

The Stover Mill is a structure of special cultural and historical significance because the fabric of the building remains mostly intact. Most of the original mill machinery remains in place, including four sets of the original millstones and two very rare metal power-generating turbines.
It was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 18, 1979. PA National Register Key Number 001706.
A small museum on the second floor of the mill has 19th- and early 20th-century tools and artifacts related to milling, farming, the canal and other trades.
Each year the Tinicum Civic Association hosts an open house at the Stover Mill the weekend before Labor Day. All floors of the mill are opened to the public, and members of the association are present on each floor to describe the former operation of the mill machinery and the items in the second-floor museum. Admission to the open
house is free.

The Stover Mill Gallery

The Tinicum Civic Association operates the Stover Mill as an art gallery on weekends from April through October. Shows change monthly and feature the works of regional artists. The gallery offers artists an opportunity to sell their work in an attractive setting and is an interesting stop for tourists traveling along River Road. Funds raised through a percentage of the gallery sales are dedicated to mill maintenance. The Stover Mill Gallery is managed and hosted entirely by volunteers and is a destination for visitors to the River Towns community.