White Star Mills
By the late 19th Century, the population in the Shenandoah Valley and the eastern United States had grown significantly. The time for right for a large-scale grain mill to sever that growing population. According to an article published on January 4, 1893 in the Staunton Spectator, Staunton, VA, in 1888 four businessmen Michael Kivlighan, Issac Witz, Charles Holt and Andrew Bowling (due to health reasons, Bowling sold his interest in the mill to his partners in 1987) created the Staunton Milling Company to build a large grain mill in Staunton, VA. They purchased the land from M. Erskine Miller and had T. J. Collins and Sons design the trapezoid shaped building that was built in 1892-1893. The value at that time was reported by Robert Kinsey to be $11,000. While the building was being built, the owners renamed the steam powered mill, the White Star Mills. It is located near the Wharf District in downtown Staunton, Virginia. White Star Mills is located at the end of New Street along the railroad terminal property providing easy access to nation wide shipping.
The partners cotstructed a five-story building to house mill equipment made by Edward P. Allis Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The mill was important to local farmers that provided quality grain to the mill. The first flour produced was called Melrose.
When Michael Kivlighan died in 1942, his son J. Harold Kivlighan obtained ownership of the mill with Katherine Holt Laken and Harold became the manager. Harold converted the mill from steam power to electric power with modern milling equipment. He also built five large solos for grain storage with storage capacity of 225,000 bushels of grain. This renovation increased the capacity of the mill to up to 1000 bushels of flour per day. The company went on to brand a variety of products from 1890 to 1963.
In 1963 the mill was sold to Washington Milling Company who wanted the White Star Mills brands. The equipment was outdated by 1963 and the mill was closed. In 1964 Kivlighan and Laken sold the building to Hamilton Investments. In the 1970 HHK Properties (J. B (Brownie) Hanger, Cecil Hanger and Jack Kiger) purchased the building. The property was used for storage while a a slow process of renovation took place. In 1980, one for Staunton’s finest restaurants named White Star Mill opened, In 1992 the restaurant changed hands and became known as the Mill Street Grill.