13-acre complex designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, 2008
National Trust for Canada Top 10 Endangered Places, 2015

Established by Loyalist descendant George Kennedy, 1823. Acquired by James and Robert Barber, 1853. Present mill built 1854. Converted from milling wool to wood pulp by John Roaf Barber, 1880. Initially produced rag paper from cotton and linen rags, then paper manufactured from oat, wheat, and rye straw. Sold to Provincial Paper Company, 1911. Principal products until 1948 were machine-finished book paper, lithographic and label papers, coloured covers, posters and better grade newsprint. 2.4km downstream are the stone ruins of the Barber Mill Dynamo, commissioned from the Brush Electric Company by John Roaf Barber in 1888; powered by a 24ft high dam, it is reputed to have been the first transmission of long-distance hydroelectric power to an industrial plant in North America. Operated by James Charles Alexander (1874-1954) through his entire working life. Subject of study by Peter Stewart and Donald Scott, George Robb Architects.

ACO Halton Hills collaborating with Barber Mill’s owner, Victor Boutin, and Halton Hills Council, with a view to adaptive re-use of this “rare example of a pre-Confederation industrial complex in Canada West.” As part of its $500,000 commitment to heritage in the 2017 budget, Halton Hills Council contracted Built Heritage Specialist, Spencer R. Higgins, to make a comprehensive inspection of the Barber Mill and prepare a report for Council with a plan to stabilize and preserve the remains of the mill buildings. Meanwhile, ACO Halton Hills reports, “vandalism Is virtually unchecked, theft of stones has been observed, because it is so difficult to secure a 13-acre property that is adjacent to a river.” ACO looks forward to release of Built Heritage Specialist, Spencer Higgins’ report on Barber Mill, which was completed in January 2017.