Leonard’s old mill got three new owners last week.
On April 13, Steve Bivens along with Larry and Jerry Hoffman purchased the Leonard Country Mill on East Elmwood Street from Bruce Twp. resident Edward Knight for an undisclosed amount.
One of the mill’s new owners, Larry Hoffman, currently serves as a trustee on the Leonard Village Council.
Built sometime in the late 1880s, the historic grain elevator and mill served the local farming community’s needs until its doors closed in January 1976.
In April 1976, the structure was renamed the Leonard Country Mill and re-opened as a general store. It was owned and operated by Oxford residents Harry and Gail Julien.
In late 1994, the local landmark was sold to Knight, who operated it as a feed mill up until a few years ago.
Bivens, a resident of Leonard, said he and his partners have no immediate plans for the old mill other than to ‘trying to clean it up and make it safe.?
The new owners are currently in the process of removing the collapsed roof and bowed walls on the north side of the mill facing East Elmwood Street.
Diminished structural integrity caused a portion of the roof to collapse last week and push the supporting walls outward.
The potential safety hazard caused the village to temporarily close portions of East Elmwood and Division streets and an adjacent section of the Polly Ann Trail.
Bivens said he and his partners also wish to do something about the loose pieces of metal hanging off the building’s east side facing the Polly Ann Trail.
As for the eventual fate of the old mill itself, Bivens stressed that no definite plans have been made at this time.
However, an auto repair garage and medical office space are among the possible uses for the property being explored by the new owners, according to Bivens.
Bivens said he and his partners are seeking contact with antique appraisers, collectors or buyers regarding some of the old mill machinery still inside the building.