ARVA, ONT. —
The 202-year-old Arva Flour Mill simply north of London, Ont., which has been in the identical household for over a century, is up on the market.
The Matthews household has determined to think about presents, although there are numerous reminiscences on the property
For Mike Matthews it’s all he’s ever identified.
“We’ve had numerous good occasions, however numerous hardship and tragedy on the property right here. I’ve received a younger three-year-old daughter now, and it’s simply time for a contemporary begin.”
Matthews has been working the mill since 1999. He’s the fourth era in his household to try this — courting again to 1917 — however he is aware of there isn’t a fifth era able to take over.
“It’s an terrible choice to make, however we waited too lengthy to have youngsters so I don’t have anybody to cross it all the way down to. There comes a time if you simply need to chunk the bullet and resolve to maneuver on.”
The worth for the oldest continuously-operated water-powered flour mill? Just below $4.5 million.
“In and out it’s a spectacular instance of 200-year-old industrial structure. It’s a real gem,” says Kelly McKeating, the president of the London department of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario
“What’s actually neat is, it’s not a museum piece, it’s not one thing that you simply pay admission, and go and sooner or later a month you could be fortunate sufficient to see the machines turned on and the flour truly floor. They’re operating a enterprise.”
Matthews says they’ve saved it off the market within the hopes of constructing a non-public sale with somebody who shares the identical imaginative and prescient as his household.
“Discover the suitable individual to come back in right here, that gained’t, that aren’t going to show it right into a parking zone, that aren’t going to place a highrise up. We don’t wish to see any of that, identical to nobody else does.”
There’s already been curiosity, however Mattews says he’s not in a rush to promote, hoping somebody with imaginative and prescient comes alongside — and best-case situation, somebody who desires to maintain the mill operating for an additional century.
