Grist Mill at Keremeos

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Constructed by Barrington Price in 1877, this historic mill and store are valuable indicators of pioneer entrepreneurship in the British Columbia interior. This site reflects one man's capitalization on the economic opportunities which arose in British Columbia during the gold rush era.



The geographical landscape of this site is significant, as it presented the ideal location for the establishment of Price's place of business. The construction of a state-of-the-art mill in this once-remote part of the province, and the proximity of the mill and general store to the historic Dewdney Trail are significant to the history of the local area because the presence of these modern amenities - which predate the advent of centralized industrial milling and distribution of goods by rail transport - created the impetus for settlement and agricultural productivity in this part of the Similkameen Valley, and facilitated travel to the gold fields in southeastern BC for thousands of miners in the late nineteenth century.



The buildings of the Grist Mill at Keremeos are valuable examples of utilitarian frontier architecture. The mill is an excellent representation of a purpose-built wood industrial structure, and is a notable illustration of the highly-skilled craftsmanship of early mill construction, which was custom-built to suit the machinery contained within. The Grist Mill remains as the last surviving pioneer flour mill in British Columbia with its historic machinery still in working condition. The general store and apple house are significant structures built from hand shaped wooden components using vernacular construction methods.

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