Turning grain into flour isn't quite as simple as it looks like at first sight. It's not just a matter of grinding seeds and the flour is there. Therefore, back in the old days, farmers often went together and built a shared mill. By locating the mill near to a stream, a water wheel could provide motion for driving the grindstones.

During the early 1900s, electricity was introduced at several mills and often the water wheel was replaced with a turbine connected to a generator. Apart from getting electric lighting, better control of the speed and power output could be achieved. As a reliable power source became common, it seems like the period from the 1920s and onwards provided a large amount of new equipment that made life easier on the mill.

From the 1950s and onwards, the small local mills were abandoned in large numbers as centralized and integrated mega-mills were built. This local mill seems to have started the path downwards around 1955. Although the building certainly has seen better days, it's a fascinating site with most of the equipment being more or less intact. The owners still use it sporadically on a hobby basis.
.