The Hill Sawmill, Lookout, Pennsylvania

The Hill Sawmill at Duck Harbor

What became known as the Hill Sawmill was built by William Holbert and J.D. Branning just after the Civil War and was one of many in operation in the Lookout, Pine Mill and Equinunk areas of Northeastern Pennsylvania.  In 1876, Joel Hill purchased a saw mill from Isaac Young which was located downstream from the Holbert and Branning Mill.  In 1898, Joel Hill purchased this sawmill from the Holbert heirs along with the surrounding 1,500 acres of timber lands, and the 205 acre body of water known as Duck Harbor for the sum of $6,500.  The mill remained in operation until 1974.

The sawmill was entirely powered by water.  During winter, the water froze and the sawing operations were halted until Spring thaw.  During this time, loggers and farmers loaded and transported logs by horse-drawn bobsleds to the hill across from the sawmill pond.  The logs were stacked in tiers that would fill the entire field and were held in place by log pile blocks (referred to as "stop" or "chock" blocks).  When the ice melted off the pond, employees would pull the chock blocks and release enough logs to last for several days of sawing.  A crew of 3 could turn out 5,000 board feet of lumber a day.  It is the only water powered mill remaining in northeastern Pennsylvania.

There are a lot of other facts and figures relating to the sawmill that I could quote, but you really need to see it to put it in perspective.  When the watergate is opened to allow water to the turbine, there is very little sound.  The mill is almost completely quiet until the saw rips into a board.  For information about when they're open for tours, contact:

Wayne County Historical
P.O. Box 446
810 Main Street
Honesdale, PA  18431

You won't be disappointed.

\\