Thorold in Niagara Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

The Welland Mills
⎯⎯⎯
Le Moulin de Welland

The Welland Mills Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 7, 2024

1. The Welland Mills Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Believed to have been one of Upper Canada’s largest flour mills, this substantial limestone structure was erected in 1846-47 by Jacob Keefer. It was constructed on the Second Welland Canal, a channel which has since been filled in, and used that waterway as a source of power as well as a means of transport. Solidly built and functional in design, the structure possesses the massive exterior walls and symmetrical façade which were distinctive features of contemporary industrial architecture. Throughout its history the mill has had a series of owners including the prominent Howland family, the Hedley Shaw Milling Company, and more recently the Maple Leaf Milling Company. Although no longer in operation, it remains an excellent example of the provinces early milling technology.

L'un des plus grands moulins à blé du Haut-Canada, cette construction imposante en pierre à chaux est l'oeuvre de Jacob Keefer. Construit en 1846-1847 au bord du second canal Welland qui a depuis été remblayé, ce moulin utilisait cette voie navigable comme source d'énergie et comme moyen de transport. Édifice solide et fonctionnel, il possède des murs extérieurs épais et une façade symétrique, caractéristiques de l'architecture industrielle de l'époque. Parmi les nombreux propriétaires du moulin, citons l'illustre famille Howland, la Hedley Shaw Milling Company et plus récemment la Maple Leaf Milling Company. S'il n'est plus utilisé de nos jours, il n'en demeure pas moins un exemple remarquable des débuts de la meunerie en Ontario.

Erected by Ontario

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Heritage Foundation.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Trust, and the The Welland Canals series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.

Location. 43° 7.539′ N, 79° 12.183′ W. Marker is in Thorold, Ontario, in Niagara Region. It is on Pine Street North 0.1 kilometers north of Albert Street East, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 20 Pine St N, Thorold ON L2V 0A1, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe

and in Niagara Canada.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Millstone From Welland Mills c. 1846 (a few steps from

The Welland Mills / Le Moulin de Welland Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 7, 2024

2. The Welland Mills / Le Moulin de Welland Marker

this marker); First Cotton Factory (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Old Thorold Firehall (about 150 meters away); Fire Bell (about 180 meters away); Dominion Government Building (about 180 meters away); Dominion Government Building 1936 (about 180 meters away); The Stone Store c. 1853 (about 210 meters away); Macartney Drug Store c. 1872 (about 210 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Thorold.

Also see . . . Biggest flour mill in Canada, first cotton woven in Canada—both in Thorold.

From the opening of the Canal until the Manitoba wheat made its appearance upon the market, the Niagara district was unexcelled for the quantity and quality of its flour. A great many grist mills were in operation along the Canal, and thousands of barrels of flour were shipped each week to Montreal, and thence to Europe. hIn 1846, Jacob Keefer built the Welland Mills, then the largest in Canada. An advertisement in the Thorold Advocate in 1849 describes them as “in complete order for manufacturing from 200 to 300 barrels of flour per day, with ship elevator capable of discharging 1,000 bushels of wheat
Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 7, 2024

3. The Welland Mills / Le Moulin de Welland Marker
per hour, and storage for 70,000 bushels of wheat and 5,000 barrels of flour.”

(Submitted on November 11, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)

The Welland Mills buildings, 2024 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 7, 2024

4. The Welland Mills buildings, 2024

The Welland Mills ca 1900 image. Click for full size.

5. The Welland Mills ca 1900

Credits. This page was last revised on September 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 220 times since then and 32 times this year. Last updated on September 15, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 11, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.

The Welland Mills⎯⎯⎯Le Moulin de Welland

The Welland Mills
⎯⎯⎯
Le Moulin de Welland