By Glenn Rolfe

MILLSBORO — Over time, weather, age and termites have taken a toll on Warren’s Mill, the greater Millsboro area’s last-known standing grist mill that is scheduled to soon be coming down.

Barring collapse on its own, demolition of the structure, sheathed in clapboard with a gambrel roof that stands on a concrete base near the shoulder of Betts Pond Road, could begin this coming week, possibly today

Town engineer Carrie Kruger at the Dec. 6 council meeting said it will take several days to take the building down. Due to proximity to the roadway, traffic will be detoured around that area. DelDOT signage alerts motorists the road closure begins today.

As part of the demolition, council granted Ms. Kruger’s budget amendment request of $25,000 for abatement of asbestos, found in the roof and window glazing.

Efforts will be made to preserve some historic components of Warren’s Mill, which was built in the early 1900s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The mill was named for Wilford B. Warren, who owned and operated it until the World War II era. Since that time, the mill has remained vacant.

In 2017, the town explored the possibility of preserving history and restoring the mill, utilizing a hydro-electric generation component. Ultimately, that was determined not to be a feasible option.

In the time since, several upper and window portions of the two-story structure — which stands just several feet from the two-lane state roadway separating it from Betts Pond — have collapsed internally.