White Co. Heritage Museum Looks To Potential Grant For Sawmill Restoration

White County Heritage Museum seeking a grant to restore the old Everett Rowland Lumber Company Sawmill.

Co-Director Brenda Templeton said that once the opportunity came about for a potential grant from T-Mobile, they wanted to do what they could to help its restoration. She said that the first step is to renovate the building where it’s stored.

“The building right now is on the verge of falling in on the mill, so we’ll have to have the building restored,” Templeton said. “It’s kind of a barn, shed-like thing that’s over it, and it’s going to have to be restored first then after we get that done we can kind of look at getting the mill restored. We’re just trying to protect everything.”

Templeton said that the work is estimated to cost some $50,000, which they hope to cover using the T-Mobile grant or by donation. She said that they are writing letters from the Chamber of Commerce, County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson, and a letter from the community of Quebeck/Walling where it’s located.

Templeton said that the sawmill was donated to the heritage museum by the Rowland family in 2017. She said that at one time, it was the only working steam sawmill in the entire state.