Written and photo by Liz Partsch
Liz Guilkey, Stockport Mill Inn’s kitchen manager, stands next to two glass-paneled doors on a long wrap-around deck, one of them opened slightly, as she waits by the entrance of Stockport Mill Inn. The parking lot sits empty as they clean and prepare for the surge of the weekend.
After a friendly greeting, Guilkey walks through the cozy lobby and turns left into a spacious dining room, filled with large round tables surrounded by bright red chairs. In the dining room is another woman, waiting to say hello. A wide grin on her face spreads from corner to corner as she introduces herself: “Hi, I am Dottie,” she says.
Dottie Singer is the owner of Stockport Mill Inn and despite her small stature, her bright personality shines. As she walks to the back of the dining room in front of the floor to ceiling windows that overlook the Muskingum River, she sits at a table basking in sunshine.
Singer has been the owner of the Inn since 2004, but the Inn has had an extensive history that began centuries prior.
Decades of history
The Stockport Mill was originally constructed in 1842, but only operated a few years before it caught fire. It was reconstructed in 1906 by the Dover Brothers and was used as a grain mill and by 1908, the mill supplied all of Stockport’s electricity.
A few decades later, the space was re-purchased in 1997 by Randy and Laura Smith and was converted into a restaurant and inn. The new and improved Stockport Mill Inn officially opened its doors in 2000, and four years later, Singer and her son-in-law purchased the Inn at an auction.
Guilkey, who has worked at Stockport Inn for 14 years, has stayed so long is because she loves enriching people with the Inn’s extensive history.
“I like the authenticity of it and the interaction with the people,” says Guikley. “People in the area take a lot of pride in this building and it’s just fun to help it stay alive.”
Beautification at work
Once Singer acquired the Inn, her first order of business was cleaning up and adding the finishing touches to the space. In particular, Singer wanted to make sure every part of the Inn had a spectacular view of the river. She mentions every room is accompanied by a balcony and all the suites overlook the river and dam.
“They had partitions in the dining room, they were making it look like a Cracker Barrel,” Singer says, “So, we opened that up so that everybody could take advantage, in the dining room, of the view.”
The Inn is only open on the weekends, with Sunday being their buffet day. However, by appointment, they can accommodate guests any day of the week. Singer says accommodation and hospitality are her biggest goals as a businesswoman.
They typically host a wide range of guests including wedding and graduation parties, card clubs, couples’ retreats, and family reunions.
Spacious rooms, gorgeous views
One of the Inn’s most popular rooms, The Captain Hook Suite, contains a spacious kitchen and living room with two bedrooms, a jacuzzi that overlooks the Muskingum River and a spiral staircase to an upstairs reading nook.
Alongside beautiful rooms and gorgeous views, the historical mill has been the home to a hydroelectric power site since 2006 — which generates clean energy electricity for the entire Inn.
Linda Nedeff, a previous guest of the Inn, visited last October for their Sunday buffet. She says her favorite part of the experience was not only the gorgeous view, but sitting outside on the balcony, listening to the soothing sound of the water crashing below.
“The sound of the water is hypnotizing,” says Nedeff. “You’re on the edge of a dam that goes completely across the Muskingum, and you have this rushing sound the whole time you’re outside, you can’t miss it.”
Despite the positive reviews, Singer has had her fair share of challenges, especially after COVID-19. However, she states business is booming once again.
“Everyone wants to get out now,” says Singer. “All the different card clubs and things are making their reservations for July. We’re booking major groups sizes, now clear up until September this year.”
Like many, Nedeff and her husband have already looked into booking a room for this spring — hoping to enjoy the great views and lulling waves, once again, but this time for an entire, relaxing weekend.
“It just is not like most places that you would go to spend a weekend or a day,” says Nedeff. “The ambience is just so… it’s back to nature and at the same time it’s back in time.”