The Morley gristmill appears as if it's in hibernation this winter, but the group spearheading its renovation is anything but.

The Heritage Morley Grist Mill Association is working behind the scenes to prepare for a construction season during which the west wall of the mill will be rebuilt.

"It's going to be structurally refurbished as both a historically correct replacement of the original wall, plus it will have to be structurally sturdied as a breaker wall for all the debris that may come down the Grasse River during flood stages," said Charles R. LaShombe, president of the association. "Hopefully, by the end of June, we'll have the contractors in place."

At the same time, the association isn't forgetting the initial vision of Mr. LaShombe to turn the mill into an educational mecca.

Mr. LaShombe, a bus driver at Norwood-Norfolk Central School, routinely uses portable equipment to demonstrate at schools and festivals how grain was turned by grinder into flour and animal feed. A new partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension may increase the number of people he reaches.

"Our long-term goal is to produce the grains here and grind them at the gristmill. We just want to bring back the heritage aspect of it," said Peter M. Barney, an Extension crop specialist. "If you've got a vision in St. Lawrence County, there's no reason why the community can't support it. It is our
history and it's a great thing to tie into tourism."

Mr. Barney said plans are in the works to tie together Cooperative Extension's annual fall Harvest Festival at its farm on Route 68 with what's happening at the mill.

Mr. Barney is thinking of planting several plots of buckwheat, spring wheat or spelt, an old high- protein grain known better in Europe. Spelt has a tough hull that's difficult to separate from the kernel, so Mr. Barney is working with an antique-farm-equipment group to try to locate an appropriate thresher.

Eventually, Cooperative Extension would like to set up a museum of old and horse-drawn equipment at its farm.

In any case, the idea is that residents and visitors could see the grain grown, watch its harvest, see it ground at the Morley mill, and perhaps sample what it is made into, such as buckwheat pancakes or bread.

At the same time, the state Education Department is providing a Goals 2000 grant of $58,441 to help St. Lawrence University, the Institute for Learning-Centered Education, the St. Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services and several district schools develop a curriculum to involve both student teachers and pupils in projects at the mill.

School groups and tourists won't be able to tour the mill, built around 1840, until it is repaired. The association will use a $92,225 state grant from the Clean Air/Clean Water Bond Act and the Environmental Protection Fund to help pay for the wall reconstruction.

Mr. LaShombe said the association has spent months talking with the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Conservation on permits that allow it to do work on the Grasse River.

"We've got a tentative OK on both of them," Mr. Shombe said.

If another $107,000 grant through the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation comes through, it will go toward stone pointing, a new roof and replacement of some boards.

The association is using a $10,000 grant from the Alcoa Foundation to pay for 39 replacement windows which are being built by Levi Shetler, an Amish craftsman from Flackville. Doors that were at the mill were stripped and repainted by James Root, Norwood. Repair of an arched front entrance and molding work was done by Jeff Hoskin, West Stockholm.

Sanfordville framer William Sherman, who has a collection of antique planer and router bits, was instrumental in getting the trim right, Mr. LaShombe said.

The association is working from a master plan drawn up by engineer Bruce B. Clark, Gouverneur, that sets out 2005 as the date the mill could be complete.

The association works from 26 Prospect St., Norwood, but may move to Canton this spring if the right space is found, Mr. LaShombe said.

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