The Joys of Ohio’s Winding Road: Stockport Mill and Inn
BY GRANT JOY
On the banks of the mighty Muskingum, in the southeast part of the county, sits the Stockport Mill Inn standing as the crown jewel, over the bucolic village of Stockport. Stockport was home to Captain Issac Newton and possesses a colorful river history. Many of the structures in Stockport have a rustic, historic charm to them. As I took a morning stroll past the Hardware Inn and came upon a white building at the corner of Main and Second, that tripled as the village’s hair salon, post office, and Masonic Hall, I noticed the village’s Main Street was made of brick. These two sights gave me the feeling that I was transported back to a small New England village located on the coast. The Stockport Inn and Mill, owned and operated by Dottie Singer, is the main attraction of the town, as the Inn is cut from the same architectural cloth that makes the Village of Stockport unique.
The gem of Stockport is the historic Mill and Inn that bears its name. It’s unlike any structure I’ve ever spent the night in. The current structure was constructed in 1906. As I stepped foot inside and wandered around, what stood out most to me was the amount of wood that comprised the building’s interior. Original, rustic looking hardwood floors, beams, wooden walls, and ceilings gave me the impression that I was transferred back in time. To add to the frontier charm of this one-of-a-kind structure, the Mill Inn still has the original grain elevator. The wooden interior of the Mill reminded me of the interior of the Great Northern Hotel from the cult-TV show Twin Peaks.
Owner Dottie Singer and her daughter operate and run the Mill Inn. Due to COVID, it’s been just the two of them working to maintain the building for guests and Dottie does all the cooking. Singer exemplifies the determination, fortitude, and work ethic that’s needed to live in a rural place, there’s a frontier ethos in how she goes about operating the Inn. She’s worked tirelessly to ensure this Ohio treasure continues to be an important part of the fabric of the Stockport community and one of the county’s greatest assets. Dottie provides some of the best country cooking around. I happily scarfed down a hearty meal of southwest style chicken breast, brisket, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and Morgan County Caviar, a blend of corn, beans, veggies that create a salsa only found at the Inn. Unique to the Inn and Mill, is that each of the 14 rooms offers its guest a private balcony overlooking the waters of the Muskingum, offering visitors a front porch to the great outdoors. To book your stay at the Stockport Inn and Mill, please visit them online at http://www.stockportmill.com/.