Saturday, August 17th
1:00-3:00 pm

The Delhi Tobacco Museum & Heritage Centre is very excited to announce that the Quance sawmill will be open for guided tours this summer!

Drop-in on Saturday, August 17th between 1:00-3:00pm for a casual tour provided by Curator Andrew Moore. Admission by donation.

The mills, originally owned and operated in the 1830s by Henry Sovereen, grandson of Delhi founder Frederick Sovereen, were purchased by the Quance family in 1874 and operated until 1970. There were two sawmills and one grist mill that served as a welcome enterprise to the citizens of Delhi and the surrounding area. The original sawmill burnt in 1913, but was quickly rebuilt with new equipment. The lumber mills produced furniture and decorative elements for area homes as well as served an important role in the tobacco industry during the 1930s, producing lumber for tobacco kilns, laths and barns. Residents used the grist mill to grind their grains into flour. The mills were amongst the first buildings developed in Delhi and were a draw for early settlement due to the important services rendered.

Learn more about the history of the mill, the lumber industry in Delhi, and the Quance family during our sawmill tours this summer.