The Distillery was built by the Montgomery Brothers in 1823/1824 and rebuilt with other buildings in the Village in 1932. The current footprint of the building is smaller than the original distillery. Water used for the distillery came directly from the flume for the mill into a reservoir in the building. The windows are barred because distilleries had to be bonded by the late 1800s and required the windows have bars. The last records from the distillery of sales or government inspections were made by Jonathan Turley in 1891.

In the 1800s surplus corn that was not consumed by people and livestock was frequently distilled into whiskey. Whiskey was easier to transport than grain and was more profitable. Spring Mill’s “Old Hamer Whiskey” was produced here and sold to markets in New Orleans. It was said to be the finest whiskey produced in Indiana. Later when Jonathan Turley owned the distillery, he made apple jack with Turley apples grown in the area and peach brandy. Barrels were made from oak from the surrounding forests.

Included here are many links to stories about the history of the distillery. When you follow the links you’ll find additional stories on One Note- only the highlights are listed below.