Backhouse Grist Mill
In French: Moulin Backus
Backus Mills Rd., Simcoe
About Backhouse Grist Mill
In Simcoe, Backhouse Grist Mill is one of 4 National Historic Sites. Construction of Backhouse Grist Mill is recorded as 1798–1799.
Located within the Backus Heritage Village, the rural setting and rushing stream beside the mill speaks to the industry and economic life of Upper Canada’s earliest pioneer communities. Its large, simple volume, hand-hewn timber frame and surviving machinery are an enduring reminder of the origins of Canada’s agricultural sector. The official recognition refers to the mill, including the one-storey office appended to the northern façade, with its associated machinery within the footprint of the building.
From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, Backhouse Grist Mill National Historic Site of Canada · Open Government Licence – Canada · quoted as the register has it
National Historic Sites are places the Minister of Environment designates, on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board, for their national significance.
Finding Backhouse Grist Mill
Simcoe
No other historic place stands within a short walk; the town’s others are farther afield.
Questions about Backhouse Grist Mill
When was Backhouse Grist Mill built?
Backhouse Grist Mill went up in 1798–1799, by its record.
Is Backhouse Grist Mill protected?
National Historic Site status commemorates; legal protection, where there is any, comes from the province or municipality, or from federal ownership.
Can you visit Backhouse Grist Mill?
Its register lists it as a museum, so it is likely open to visitors; check the hours with whoever runs it.
What is Backhouse Grist Mill?
Backhouse Grist Mill is a National Historic Site of Canada, designated in 1998.
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada (Parks Canada).
Sources: Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations · Canadian Register of Historic Places (federal extract) · Photos: Wikimedia Commons, each credited with its licence and copied to our own server · Wikidata (CC0) for map points, other names and articles.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).