You are invited to the Grand Opening of our Erin Village Branch on Wednesday, February 18! All are welcome to the opening celebration at 135 Daniel Street, Erin. Doors open at 2:00 pm with official remarks at 3:00 pm and reception to follow.
Visitors will enjoy:
- Original stonework from the 1849 McMillan Grist Mill paired with modern industrial design.
- Stunning location on the edge of the Credit River valley and easy access from downtown Erin.
- Dedicated floors for children and adult/teen materials.
- Cozy reading nooks, computer stations, and private study rooms.
- Rentable community event space on the lower level.
- Views of the village and surrounding area from the glassed-in top level.
- Built sustainably to the County’s Green Legacy Building Standards.
The Grist Mill and surrounding property was purchased by the County of Wellington in 2022 with the intent of moving the library out of its location at Centre 2000, where it shared space with Erin District High School. Building a new library in Erin Village serves the needs of the community well into the future.
The 1849 Grist Mill is one of Erin’s most significant and distinctive 19th century landmarks. It was one of several mills built by Daniel McMillan, one of the founding fathers of Erin, alongside his younger brothers Charles and Hugh. At just 18 years old, Daniel McMillan bought and repaired the first sawmill in the area before erecting the first home in the village. In 1849, he started work on a new grist mill, or flouring mill; however, near the end of the construction, he tragically developed blood poisoning from a splinter and passed away on December 17, 1849, at age 38. The mill opened 5 days later.
The building endured multiple fires in the 19th century, as well as one on October 22, 1946, after which Donald Kirkwood rebuilt it with a flat roof. Over the years, it served a variety of purposes—including a period when turkeys were raised inside. In 1959, Halton Cooperative Supplies purchased the property and converted its power source from water to electricity. During the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, the United Cooperative of Ontario (CO-OP) ran a chopping and feed mill on the site. It was most recently used for storage by Mundell Lumber.
Related links
- New Erin library update (Wellington Advertiser article from April 2025)
- Council approves design for new library project in Erin (Wellington Advertiser article from January 2023)
- Concept designs for new Erin library branch unveiled at library board meeting (Wellington Advertiser article from September 2022)
- Historic grist mill to get second life as home of new Erin library branch (Wellington Advertiser article from May 2022)
- County announces purchase of downtown Erin property for new library, affordable housing (Wellington Advertiser article from April 2022)