Volunteers are pictured in the Red House Sawmill. The formerly closed sawmill will reopen May 11 for tours from 10 a.m. to noon Sundays until Columbus Day Weekend.

RED HOUSE – The Friends of Allegany State Park will host the grand opening of the Red House Sawmill for interpretive tours.

The authentic steam-powered sawmill was shuttered in 1998 and through years of disuse and deferred maintenance, it suffered degradation from the elements and intruding wildlife.

In the spring of 2015, park officials asked the Friends of Allegany if they would like to tackle renovation of the mill as a project to transform it into an historic feature and interpretive destination within the park.

Nine years, three grants, eight years of giveaways, countless private donations and thousands of volunteer hours have culminated into Allegany State Park’s newest destination point attraction.

“It’s been a long, hard but worthwhile journey to see the mill reopened as a museum piece in the park,” said

Paul Crawford, Friends of Allegany president. “A shout out to the many volunteers for their hard work and dedication; to Park staff for their efforts and partnership; and to Parks and Trails NY for their generous financial support in the form of three grants they provided for the project.”

The mill will be open for tours every Sunday from 10 a.m. until noon from mid-May until Columbus Day Weekend. Tour guides will be provided by the Friends of Allegany and the Allegany State Park Historical Society.