Stockhausen’s Bellevue Gothic Mill

Stockhausen’s Bellevue Gothic Mill Built in 1854, taken over by the Stockhausens in 1977, it started producing hydroelectric power in 1982 and is under restoration currently.

In 1854 Joseph Sibley and Manlius Mann took out a mortage for $10,000 to have Horatio Hall build the Gothic style flour mill. It measures 45 feet long, 35 feet wide, with a 16/12 steeply pitched roof. It was built before the Oliver Evan's vertical elevator, thus the series of doors along the west side of the building. There was once a hoist installed in the gable of the roof to be used to lift the

grain sacks to the appropriate level for the refining process needed. The basement stone walls are 19 feet high and approximatly 3 feet thick. The mortised and tenoned timbers are as large as 14"x14". In 1873 Hiram Ovenshire took over the mill and remodeled and enlarged it. The ownership of the mill passed down through his family until it was closed in 1958. It had been in the Ovenshire/ Hollenbeck/ Butler family for 85 years. Then it suffered about 20 years of deteroiration and vandalism. The townspeople were debating about tearing it down or restoring it - however they did have it registered in 1970 as a State and National Historical Site. William Stockhausen, who had been a mechanical engineer at Ford Motor Co. for years, was inspired by Henry Ford's Village Industries renewable energies and was fascinated with the water-powered factories. He convinced his wife Carole Jean Stockhausen to search through about 250 old mills, hydros, and dam sites in Michigan and finially chose Bellevue as the site to settle on. The bought the mill for $3,000 in 1977 and within 5 years had the exterior restored and producing power. It has been under constant restoration and renovation by the Stockhausen family and friends until present day. They hope that one day it will be able to be a meeting spot for families and groups alike.

It hardly seems possible that it's been 15 years since our larger than life son, Karl, went to meet his maker. We look ...
09/13/2024

It hardly seems possible that it's been 15 years since our larger than life son, Karl, went to meet his maker. We look forward to being together again to further enjoy eternity together

06/26/2023
06/23/2023
This past weekend we had the privilege of hosting 53 scouts and leaders of Northville Troop 755 at the Mill. We toured ...
10/18/2020

This past weekend we had the privilege of hosting 53 scouts and leaders of Northville Troop 755 at the Mill. We toured them through the facility, after which we hiked through the Keehne Environmental Area, the old Cement Plant Ruins, and back along the railroad track, and then experienced the 10,000 year old Mastodon bones in the Museum. Because of COVID and one person per tent the property was still able to contain all the tents and the cars lined the street. Fall-in was held on the head race deck.

As a Christmas present for me 13 years ago, Joanne Slaughter and our boys constructed this cool, 30 inch tall, bat house...
06/03/2020

As a Christmas present for me 13 years ago, Joanne Slaughter and our boys constructed this cool, 30 inch tall, bat house as a copy of the Mill - now forever to be known as the Bat Mill. It has been sitting at the Mill as a decoration needing someone to put it up in the yard ever since – I even had the post ready to go all those years. While James Chapman was visiting us at the Mill it actually happened – he wanted to install it, so he dug the hole and we put it up. So, the bats that used to visit us in the Mill (literally), now have their own Mill, and we visit them.

05/11/2018

The Stockhausen family has spent nearly five decades renovating the former grist mill on the Battle Creek.

We had an open house at the Mill on Oct 28, and a clever young man, Conor Sedam, brought his drone and captured some won...
12/29/2017

We had an open house at the Mill on Oct 28, and a clever young man, Conor Sedam, brought his drone and captured some wonderful aerial shots. Enjoy them like we have!

A tour of The Mill!!
02/05/2017

A tour of The Mill!!

We installed the Historical Marker at the Mill this past week and with an official from the State Historical Office dedi...
11/01/2016

We installed the Historical Marker at the Mill this past week and with an official from the State Historical Office dedicated it yesterday. There was also about 100 other folks present, including decendants of the Butlers who ran the mill for many decades. We additionally had a showing of the Norm Fankell video on how we found the Mill 40 years ago, got it generating, and with the whole family have been restoring it ever since, which everyone seemed to appreciate.

Address

218 E Mill Street
Bellevue, MI
49021

Telephone

(269) 763-9533

Website

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