The House at Noser Mill
I never intended to stay and live in Missouri.. A couple of years and then I was going to find some land in Montana and homesteading and sustainability was the goal.
Instead, I stumbled onto this beautiful and magical property in what used to be the town of Noser Mill, Missouri.
Noser Mill, once a very small town got it's name from John J. Noser, the man who bought and ran the grist mill for the longest period of time. The mill itself was constructed by Diederich Voss, a German immigrant who wanted to recreate this very specific mill from his youthful memories of Hanover. In 1849 Voss paid $800 for 11 acres on the Bourbeuse River and built what would prove to be a project based in passion and sentiment more than common sense. In the era of the steam engine, Voss's mill was powered by tub wheels, set in the bottom of rock cyinders shaped like old tubs (hence the name) fueled by river water funneled in under the mill floor and then back out to the river.
That's how it was supposed to work and how it had worked in the mill in Hanover. Unfortunately for Voss, the Bourbeuse River's depth, even dammed was insufficient to generate the necessary water current through the tubs.
Voss sold the mill to John J. Noser in 1871 and sometime in the late 1880's a 6' X 16' horizontal paddle wheel was installed followed by other owners and eventually the installation of a steel Leffel wheel (turbo system) in 1911.
3 separate technologies in one mill made this mill an extremely rare occurance. However, sadly in 2000 the mill, after many ownership changes burnt down and disappeared forever.
The only legacy of this incredible story is the house itself, still standing proudly from the original homestead built by Voss.
When I enter the story the house was owned by an elder man who, together with his wife had fallen in love with the property on first sight and then spent the next 20 some odd years doing their best to restore it to it's original 1850's glory. They had taken on some of the most challenging aspects of making the house livable; electric, plumbing, eliminating the animals that had taken up residence and removing the 2 feet of water that had flooded the bottom floor. Though they had gotten a lot done there's still so much to do.
So now it doesn't matter that Missouri wasn't the original plan, it's become the only plan. Finding this particular property feels like a calling, something that will give me great joy and at the same time provide a reason for people to visit this area, bring new life to Noser Mill and the little town of Leslie, Missouri.
A barn for weddings, a house that has historical significance and so many interesting qualities, river cottages to stay in, animals to enjoy and some damn good food for them to eat and enjoy.
There's a lot more to the story behind the mill, it's owners and the house itself but you'll have to come visit to hear the rest.. Sit with me at the fire pit, look up at a sky filled with stars unobstructed by city lights and imagine what it must have been like in 1850 under the same sky, hearing the same river that powered the mill.
All that said, putting it back to it's glory takes some doing. I'm looking for some financial assistance to make sure it gets done the right way.. Every dollar donated will go directly to each phase of this project.. Historical integrity is a priority but ecological considerations have to be considered. Solar and wind power needs to be intorduced and of course, we'll need some creature comforts. Bathrooms and air conditioning to mention a couple.
We need $500,000 to complete this work.
Phase One: (already begun)
The house itself is structurally sound but needs updated bathrooms, insulation, roofing, porches, air conditioning (for us sissies) and heating upgrades. It needs some spit and polish all around. Dull wood that will come back to life with applied elbow grease, old windows that need sealing and there's all those little holes mice use to access the place.
The wood in this house is largely original and the wood that isn't is still old. There's a lot of refinishing to be done and it needs to be done correctly. I'll post pics of the floors, stairs, the bannisters, the windows. All original. Or as I said before, still old.
The barn turned out to be a treasure of lumber finds that can be planed or routed and used in the house for cabinets and trim
Part of the house phase is a conversion to solar and wind turbine for power. Having missed the lovely grants offered by the state, the whole cost of the conversion will fall within the house and grounds budget. I believe this expense is a very important part of the project and it will remain a primary goal to be as sustaianble as possible.
I'm budgeting $200,000 for the house and it's needs. I am dedicated to repurposing and recycling all materials possible. Our landfill impact should be minimal.
Phase Two:
The Noser mill barn has foundation issues.. It'll take a skilled mason to make it right and not destroy its original beauty with cheap knock off material.
The barn has metal walls as it stands now but I've seen pictures of it as it stood way back when and it wasn't metal.. It was wood. I'd like to see it make it back to the way it began; it'll make a beautiful backdrop for weddings.
I'm budgeting another $200,000 to the barn project to cover the obvious rennovations as well as the addition of air and heat and fire sprinklers.
Phase Three:
This phase will cover the other historical out buildings such as the corn crib which will become a retail space for antiques and local artisans, the chicken coop and tool shop which both have foundation issues and structural needs and the river cottages. These cottages will be so much more charming with bathrooms, just my opinion..
Grounds work, landscaping and green houses for seasonal and fresh vegetables will be added making sure guests get the best each season has to offer and prolonging grow times for those veges that get sparse in the winter time. $100,000 is a generous budget for this phase.
All funds donated will be applied to the restoration.
Noser Mill will help rebuild a community.
This property is well known in this area and within the "historical" community as well. Bringing it back to it's former glory will definitely attract travellers and weekend visitors as well as wedding parties.
People who come will want to go antiquing, visit the local wineries, float, canoe or fish on the Bourbeuse River, bike or hike the Katy trail or just hang around the property and enjoy farm living.
Red tape won't deter me.
I'm just beginning the paperwork process with the county we live in. My goal is to hang onto our agricultural classification with the addition of the B&B but I'll have to hop through whatever hoops the county deems necessary. It's been my experience that people here are excited and happy to see a business like this come to town, the feedback has been very encouraging!
Other Ways You Can Help
Donating money isn't the only way to make a difference here... Putting the word out to your contacts and friends, liking my page and using the indiegogo share tool can help tremendously. I'm just so grateful to anyone who understands this endeavor and supports it inwhatever way possible.
Thanks for taking the time to check my page out!