Description of Historic Place

The Williams Mill/Georgetown Electric Light Company Power Plant, located at 515 Main Street, is situated on the south side of Main Street, close to its intersection with Prince Street, in Glen Williams, Town of Halton Hills. The property consists of the Williams Mill, a three-storey timber and clapboard mill building that was constructed circa 1825, and the Georgetown Electric Light Company Power Plant, a two-and-a-half-storey stone structure constructed circa 1898.

The property was designated by the Town of Halton Hills in 1988 for its heritage value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 1988-0018).

Heritage Value

The Williams Mill and the Georgetown Electric Light Company Power Plant, located east of the Credit River, reflect the early development of the hamlet of Glen Williams as the site of milling operations that were powered by the nearby river.

The Williams Mill is associated with Benajah Williams who bought the land in 1825 and opened a saw mill. The economic life of nineteenth century Glen Williams revolved around the milling enterprises of the Williams family, after whom the hamlet is named. One of the oldest remaining mills constructed in Glen Williams, the Williams Mill has been in continuous industrial use since it was first opened. Its contemporary use is as an apple processing factory.

The Williams Mill is a good representation of early mill construction. The foundation is constructed of coursed rubble with dressed stone corners and a three storey heavy timber mortise and tenon frame extends above. The timber structure is clad in clapboard. A queen post roof truss with iron suspension rod supports the mid-span of the second storey and allows a clear span on the first and second storeys to permit the movement of lumber and logs within the ground floor area.

The Georgetown Electric Light Company Power Plant was constructed on this site of an 1871 Williams family flour mill that was destroyed by fire in 1890. Circa 1898 the two-and-a-half-storey stone Georgetown Electric Light Company Power Plant was erected. The new building, which is believed to incorporate the foundation from the original flour mill, housed a power plant which Joseph Williams started in the basement of the saw mill circa 1893. The Power Plant was the first structure in the area built specifically for the purpose of generating electric power for sale to outside customers.

The Georgetown Electric Light Company Power Plant is believed to incorporate the foundation from the flour mill previously on the site, the iron penstock pipe which brought water into the building remains on the foundation of the north elevation. The remains of the raceway beneath the basement floor into which the water fell also still exist.

Source: Town of Halton Hills By-law 1988-0018.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the contextual value of the Georgetown Electric Light Company Power Plant include its:
- close proximity to the Credit River
- three storey timber construction and clapboard exterior
- gable roof
- coursed rubble foundation
- dressed stone corners
- queen post roof truss with iron suspension rod
- 6 over 6 windows
- stone exterior and foundation
- gable roof
- single piece stone lintels and sills
- stone arch
- remains of iron penstock pipe
- remains of raceway