Moscow Mills Revitalization

Stowe Electric Department (SED) purchased the Moscow Mills parcel in Stowe, VT, featuring a historic, non-operational mill for construction of a new office and garage for utility operations in 2016. This site, situated on the Little River, presented both unique challenges as well as unique opportunities. Following construction of the SED facilities in 2019, attention turned to the rest of the parcel for redevelopment and revitalization, primarily through outside grant funding.

(2) 1822 Seaver Sawmill

Adaptive reuse of the historically listed Second Office will include office space for SED as well as potential commercial office space. The Second Office will provide community meeting space for student research, internships, and historic interpretation. The second floor will provide an Emergency Operations Center for SED staff, microgrid, solar and hydroelectric operations, as well as IT infrastructure.

(2) 1822 Seaver Sawmill

The Seaver Sawmill is a combination grist and sawmill built by Alexander Seaver in 1822 and sits next to the Smith's Falls dam in the Moscow Village Historic District. Built on a 6-foot-thick fieldstone foundation, with two stone archways in the south elevation and one stone archway in the west elevation, the mill is open to the river's flow. SED is working collaboratively with Lamoille County Planning Commission, Stowe Historical Society, Preservation Trust of Vermont, and Building Heritage on adaptive reuse of this important historic structure.

(3) Second Office

(1) Stowe Electric Office & Garage

Stowe Electric built its new office and garage facility in 2019 on the site of the former Moscow Mills warehouse.

(4) Smith's Falls Dam

Built in the 1820s out of wood, reinforced with concrete in the 1900s, and refaced in the 1980s, this dam is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. SED received a $1.2MM earmark to rebuild the dam with modern engineering technology that will improve ecosystem indicators, enhance hydropower generation, and safely bypass high flows ranging from seasonal snowmelt to 100-year flooding.

(5) Community Micro-Hydro

Turbines were installed in the 1850s within the Seaver Sawmill to harness the river's energy for mechanical power and later electricity generation. Hurricane Irene inundated the site and took the plant offline in 2011. SED will install a micro-turbine external to the mill. The project will provide generation credits for low-income customers through a community hydro model.

Moscow Mills Campus

Explore Stowe Electric's Moscow Mills Campus by hovering over the numbers on the interactive map at left.

UVM Partnership

Stowe has partnered with the University of Vermont to offer college seniors a project site to experience working as a river ecologist and an engineer. Service-learning is a form of experiential education in which students engage in real world design activities that address human and community needs. Students have provided a range of reports for Stowe Electric on river ecology, hydropower, transportation planning, and historic preservation.

Adaptive Reuse

The mill and dam were the heart of the Smith Woodworking Factory complex. In 1825, the Seavers built their house uphill from the mill. In 1845 the Seaver Window Sash, Door and Blind Factory was fully operational. A fire destroyed the factory in 1877 and Lemuel Smith rebuilt the remains into the Smith Wood Planing & Dressing Factory. Later known as Moscow Mills, the Second Office was added to manage increased economic activity at the complex. The factory was rebuilt in 2002 and removed in 2019. Stowe Electric is working with community partners and historic preservation experts to restore the Mill and Second Office.

Dam Restoration

The Smith’s Falls dam was first a rock and timber dam built on ledge in 1822. It begins at the southeast corner of the mill and spans the width of the river. The dam was rebuilt with concrete in 1918 and repointing occurred in the early 1980s. Stowe Electric is finalizing the stabilization of the dam to enhance flood control and hydropower generation at the site

Economic Development

The Moscow Mills complex was an expansive industrial center that now forms the centerpiece for the Village of Moscow Economic Cluster. The Moscow General Store and Post Office (1886) is under renovation, the Fred Smith Barn (1910) was converted into mixed commercial space in 2001, the Alexander Seaver House (1825) was rebuilt in 2021, and the Seaver Sawmill (1822) and the Second Office (1950) are underutilized. The Third Village School (1860) is across the River, was converted to a pottery studio in 1954 and now is the only eatery in the Village. Stowe Electric is committed to revitalizing the sense of place for Village residents that was the heart of the Village community.

Micro Hydropower

Originally a pull wheel and waterwheel powered the sawmill and gristmill. Gates in the mill and dam were utilized to harness water to power mechanical processes. In the 1850s turbines were installed for woodworking and electricity generation. The 1980s modernization of the hydroelectric plant added a sluiceway and turbine bay to take advantage of favorable net-metering rates. Tropical Storm Irene took the hydroelectric plant off-line. Stowe Electric is now developing a plan to increase the electricity generation at the facility and install a modern hydroelectric plant external to the historic mill building.

Resilient Communities

Stowe relies on rivers and nature for goods and services that improve our quality of life. Our sense of place is dominated by our environment and ecosystem services are significant forces that challenge our built environment. Stowe Electric Department is committed to building resilient infrastructure and communities. Through our commitment to renewable and carbon-free generation, hazard mitigation projects, and hazard response planning, we are building a community that can improve river and floodplain indicators and coexist with the changing environment.