Built about 1860, and repeatedly modified to adapt to growth and new technology, it is the only water-powered sawmill (a once-common sight) in the state.

A wooden crib dam with rock fill provides a drop of about 16 feet (4.9 m) at the eastern end of the building.

A wooden penstock brings water to a turbine, from which a series of leather belts deliver power from the main shaft to the saws.

It grew in the subsequent decades, its growth spurred by the arrival of railroad service to Lancaster.

It is now roughly three times the size of its original construction, and kept pace with technological changes through the mid-20th century, updating its turbines when more efficient ones became available.