A historic property in the region is getting a major overhaul and making a comeback after half a century.

It’s been 50 years since farmers brought their grain to Bell's Grist Mill in Utopia, but retired farmer Bill Truax remembers when the mill was bustling with activity when he was a teenager.

“It's where I got my start. You drop off your sacks in the morning and come back at noon and they would be ready.”

Located at the Utopia Conservation Area, the Grist Mill was built in 1904 and was the hub of commerce in Utopia. Now the historical mill is on the verge of collapse and work is now underway to save the building.

“Quite honestly one more year and it would no longer be here,” says Susan Antler of Friends of Utopia.

Antler says a group of residents, which have spent the past 25 years getting to this point, saved the mill from the wrecking ball – raising $150,000 with some help from government grants in order to restore the mill to its glory days.

“This is an agriculture community and Grist Mill is very important to an agriculture community and for us to restore it with the whole local food movement and respect for the land I think it's an important icon for the future.”

Crews will spend the entire summer stabilizing the building, while trying to preserve as much history as possible.

“We're down about 10 feet into the foundation and we understand from our core samples it goes does 30 feet. We understand it's sitting on old logs and quick sand so that's part of the structural issue we have right now,” says contractor Dave Davidson.

Inside the mill, most of the equipment used to grind grain is still intact and some of the parts are still in working order.

The long term plan is to have the entire mill restored and it's equipment powered by the running water of the river.

“It can breathe economic life into this community again, it has an opportunity for tourism, local food production, events.”

The group still needs to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in order for that to happen, but for now, saving the building from collapse is a big first step.

While the mill is being restored, the Utopia conservation area will be closed for safety reasons. This phase of construction is expected to complete in September.