Absolutely incredible, beautiful, and fascinating are only a few words our visitors have used to describe their visits to Motor Mill.
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Come see for yourself the historic beauty and craftsmanship that the Mill is known for. Guided tours of historic Motor Mill are offered each Saturday (May 28-Sept 3, Sept 17, Oct 1, and Oct 8) from noon-5pm. These guided tours include the 1860's Mill, four related outbuildings, and the Motor town site. Tours have no cost but free will donations are encouraged and appreciated to help with various r
estoration projects. Tours range in time depending on your touring interests and desires. Volunteer opportunities are available for those interested in becoming involved directly with the Mill. We also offer a periodic newsletter entitled Milling Around. To subscribe to Milling Around or to become a volunteer call 563-245-1516, email [email protected], or simply Facebook message.
It's here! The July 2024 edition of our news bulletin Milling Around is recently published. Please follow the link below to view. Plan your trip to the Mill to see what's new.
https://motormill.org/lab2023/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Milling-Around-July-2024-revised.pdf
I brought fresh flowers in to work at the Inn today. Compliments from my mother Claudine Yearous garden 💓
Renovations for the Carriage House roof were completed today. Electrical will be added next to turn this into a meeting venue for weddings, family reunions & many other group functions. We're excited on the expansion of our Motor Mill property to be used by many. Many exciting things happening here. Come visit us soon. We look forward to meeting you !
Two Clayton County projects, the McGregor Masonic Block and the Motor Mill Inn, have received awards for excellence in preservation. Preservation Iowa announced its annual Preservation at its Best Awards—which honor individuals, organizations, projects and programs whose work demonstrates a commit...
Today friends & family of Mr. Jon Deneui unveiled plaque honoring Jon's many contributions to the protection & restoration of the Motor Mill. Jon served for many years as a volunteer on the Motor Mill Foundation & will be missed.
Saturday, June 15 1:00pm-1:30pm
There is a memorial service for Jon deNeui, a Motor Mill Foundation volunteer who served for many years, on June 15th.
Family and friends will travel to Motor Mill for the 1:00 p.m. dedication of a plaque honoring Jon’s many contributions to the protection and restoration of Motor Mill.
Please use caution if you’re traveling near Motor Mill and limit traffic during this time frame.
Hot of the Press! The Summer e-Newsletter, "Milling Around" has ben posted on the Motor Mill Historic Site website. Follow the link to read what's new at the Mill.
https://motormill.org/lab2023/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Milling-Around-Summer-2024.pdf
Each year, Preservation Iowa seeks to honor individuals, organizations, projects, and programs whose work demonstrates a commitment to excellence in historic preservation with the Preservation at its Best Awards Program.
The Motor Inn project has been selected for the Rural Preservation Award! This Award recognizes preservation or restoration in a rural cultural landscape, heritage, or built environment.
Today the Motor Mill Foundation members attended the Preservation Iowa Summit to accept this award.
Front L-R: Bethany Jordan, Martin Gardner Architecture; Jenna Po***ck, Conservation Executive Director; Abbey Harkrader, naturalist
Back L-R: Board members Chris Schoen, Jane Metcalf, and Dr. Ken Zichal
Iowa PBS stopped by to grab some footage for a Road Trip Iowa show along one of our byways! Can you spot the drone?
Not only can you visit our historic Motor Mill & Inn but canoeing & Kayaking are also available here along with our 5 camping spaces.
Today is the Grand Opening of the Elkader Depot Museum! 🎉
A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at the Depot at 1:00 PM, doors will be open until 4:00 PM for tours! While you're in the area consider also coming down to Motor Mill and learn even more about some of the history of Clayton County!
Summer break is here! Are you trying to come up with some fun summer activities? Bring the family down for a tour of Motor Mill and explore some of the beautiful hiking trails! ☀️🌳👨👩👧👦
Doc and Larry are the knowledgeable docents today at Motor Mill. Their enthusiasm is contagious!
Opening day at Motor Mill Historic Site. Come down for a visit to the Mill and the newly restored Inn, and meet the new co-coordinators, Brenda and Laura!
2024 weekend tours will begin May 25! We will be back to having tours both Saturday and Sunday. Be sure to stop out to see the new visitor center located in the ground floor of the Inn as well as our two new seasonal hostesses.
Today is Great Give Day 2024‼
This is the perfect time to support the Motor Mill Foundation and all the projects they do to improve the Motor Mill Historic Site! Consider participating in Great Give Day by making a donation today! Your donation will contribute to the Motor Mill Foundation Endowment meaning that it will have a lasting impact.
Make a Great Give Day Donation here: https://www.greatgiveday.org/organization/MotorMillFoundation
A big thank you to Central Students for coming out and helping get Motor Mill ready for the season. Thanks for all the hard work!
Our friends over at SPOOM (Society for the Preservation of Old Mills) are hosting a photo contest and we want to make sure you know about it!
There are many ways to give to the Motor Mill Foundation, consider supporting the Stable Roof Restoration! 🐎
The stable at Motor Mill started out as a place for patrons of the Inn to stable their horses during overnight stays. The stable was built around 1870 about the same time the Motor Mill Inn was built. The building originally had a lower roof flush with the top of the limestone walls.
The floor, interior support beams, roof, limestone work and tuckpointing were the key areas of focus for the stable restoration project. The last historic use of the stable beyond being used for storage was serving as a milk parlor. Due to livestock troughs the floor was uneven and not ideal for visitors. Leveling the floor and then securing the support beams and interior structure became the first priority and was completed in 2021.
The next big step in the stable restoration project is replacing the roof. When the Stable is fully restored it will serve as a reservable space that will be available for a variety of public uses like family reunions, music venues, graduation parties ect..
If you’d like to support this project, please make checks payable to Motor Mill Foundation, & mail to 29862 Osborne Road, Elkader, Iowa 52043.
Make a legacy gift and get the Endow Iowa Tax Credit: https://dbqfoundation.org/giving-center/motor-mill-foundation-endowment-donor
Donate through our website: https://motormill.org/donations/
Participate in Great Give Day 2024 and make a donation on May 15th to the Motor Mill Foundation here: https://www.greatgiveday.org/organization/MotorMillFoundation
Great Give Day is around the corner! Show your support to Motor Mill by making a donation to the Motor Mill Foundation on Great Give Day (May 15th, 2024)!
Donate here on May 15th: https://www.greatgiveday.org/organization/MotorMillFoundation
Great Give Day is a 24-hour, online giving event organized annually by the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque to grow philanthropy in its seven-county region, including Allamakee, Clayton, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson and Jones Counties. The minimum donation is $10 and there is no maximum. Bonus grants will be made available to amplify charitable donations. The goal is to inspire the community to come together for 24 hours to contribute as many charitable dollars as possible to support the work of local nonprofit organizations.
Thank you Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative for the great article on the Motor Mill Inn. It is exciting to finally have this project complete and reservations open for the public to enjoy this fantastic spot.
Make reservations here: https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Clayton/Park/Motor-Mill-Historic-Site/Facility/The-Inn-at-Motor-Mill.aspx
Coming soon to a mailbox near you! In the February ACEC Newsletter, read about the recent updates to the Motor Mill Inn, find your next brunch recipe and follow our power strip safety tips. You can read this edition or past editions online at https://acrec.com/acec-newsletters
Our Buy One Get One (BOGO) deal is still active for the Motor Mill Inn. Reserve a night in the month of April and you will receive an additional night free! Reservations can be made at Mycountyparks.com: https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Clayton/Park/Motor-Mill-Historic-Site/Facility/The-Inn-at-Motor-Mill.aspx
Seasonal positions are now posted on our website. Deadline is March 15. Please follow the application directions listed.
Clayton County Conservation is now accepting applications for the following positions: Seasonal Maintenance, Seasonal Naturalist, & Seasonal Motor Mill Coordinator. Applications must be received by March 15, 2024. Selections will be made as soon as possible after this date.
Jon de Neui, an original member of the Motor Mill Foundation, passed away on Thursday, December 21, 2023.
Jon was a tireless advocate for the Motor Mill Historic Site
His background in carpentry elevated him to site engineer. You can see through the collection of photos that Jon kept a close eye on projects and was quick to find an alternative path forward when something didn't quite go right the first time.
His work has inspired troubleshooting and stewardship in other historic site caretakers.
Jon's hearty laugh and rumbling baritone voice will be greatly missed by those at Motor Mill.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/jon-deneui-obituary?id=53981631
Join us March 16th for the annual Motor Motor 5k/10k races. All registration info can be found here https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Clayton/Events.aspx
Motor Mill Inn is now listed with the Elkader Lodging Association. Check out all the great places available to stay while visiting Elkader.
Share with family and friends the lodging offerings of the Elkader area. The Elkader Lodging Association provides you with a listing of locations and their respective links on the website elkaderlodging.com.
Thanks Steege Construction, Inc. for the great write up and your work during the Motor Mill Inn Renovation!
We are excited to contribute to the success of such a unique project as the Motor Mill Inn Renovation. They recently won The Golden Silo Award for Outstanding Preservation in Agriculture.
The Travelers Inn was built in the 1860's and Clayton County Conservation, along with the Motor Mill Foundation, undertook a monumental effort to bring it to the modern age. We jumped at the chance to tackle problems we don't see every day when we got to meet the team. Mike Tucker with Martin Gardner Architecture put together a great plan to fit the vision Jenna Po***ck and the Foundation saw.
You can now stay in the upper floors of this beautiful historic structure and enjoy the Driftless Region of Iowa. This is a gem of our State--head to their website to support them and book your stay!
Book here 👉 https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Clayton/Park/Motor-Mill-Historic-Site/Facility/The-Inn-at-Motor-Mill.aspx
Read more about the award 👉 https://www.silosandsmokestacks.org/2023/11/silos-smokestacks-honors-those-telling-americas-agricultural-story-7/
Visit their page 👉 Motor Mill Historic Site
Who needs Black Friday and Cyber Monday when we have a great deal that runs through Jan 1-April 30, 2024! Take advantage of this BOGO sale for the Motor Mill Inn. Buy a night and get a free night stay!
The Inn sleeps 12 and is a perfect winter retreat for your family reunions, friend get-togethers, hunting groups, etc. Located in the Driftless Area of Northeast Iowa you won't have to look far for a beautiful hike, trout stream, winery, historic museum or great shopping.
To find available dates visit https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Clayton/Park/Motor-Mill-Historic-Site/Facility/The-Inn-at-Motor-Mill.aspx
Call 563-245-1516 for more information and to pick your free dates.
The Inn at Motor Mill can serve as an idyllic retreat destination for small groups such as quilting clubs, artisans, and small businesses. Wi-Fi connectivity means that hosting a meeting and hosting a virtual guest speaker is possible. Remote learning and remote working can be accomplished from the Inn.
If you would be interested in a day-use rental give our staff a call for more information, 563-245-1516.
Elkader, IA
52043
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Wood stripping, reglazing, electrical, and HVAC underway!
The third floor of the Inn "before" with labels for "after" use.
As we look forward to the restoration of the Inn, here's a look at the second floor "before" with labels for use "after."
We're excited to welcome you to Motor for tours this Saturday from noon to 5pm. We anticipate restoration of the Inn will begin this month and we look forward to welcoming you to the Inn in 2023! Here's a brief video tour of the Inn main floor labeled for future use.
Join us for a virtual tour of Motor Mill
