According to J. Thomas Mitchell, a Centre County historian, William Lamb is credited with owning the first permanent settlement in the Nittany Valley. In 1785 he built his home along the west bank of Spring Creek and in 1786 constructed a mill just south of his home. It became known as Lamb's crossing, with Thomas Lamb becoming the area's first millwright. In 1794, John Dunlop, an ironmaster from Cumberland Valley, bought all the Lamb properties, including 800 acres and the Big Spring, then called the Beautiful Fountain, from which Bellefonte gained its name. The Dunlops established their iron industry in Centre County and bought many thousands of acres in the Nittany Valley. One year later, Colonel Dunlop and James Harris laid out the town of Bellefonte. Various people were connected with the ownership of the mill until 1834. At that time, the mill and the old Lamb House were purchased by an established ironmaster, William A. Thomas. During the 1830's and until the turn of the century, the mill was known as the Thomas Mill.

September 1, 1848 marked the formal opening of the Bellefonte branch of a canal now known as Spring Creek. When the first canal boat, "The Jane Curtin," arrived laden with supplies from Philadelphia, it moored at the Thomas Wharf. For the next 15 years the canal was the main highway from Bellefonte to the East. This made the Thomas Mill site the center of wholesale business in the town.

The original mill was 3 brick stories and 2 wooden stories high. In 1892 the mill was what you see today. Water still flows through the raceway and under the building where at one time a water wheel supplied power, by the use of pulleys, to all sections of the building for the manufacture of flour and feed. Today the turbine that replaced the water wheel in the 1890's has been reactivated and can be used to pump water to various sections in Bellefonte.

In 1901, George M. Gamble, the mill's current namesake, came to Bellefonte from Jersey Shore. After purchasing sole interest in the business he ran the mill until his retirement in 1923. Many years later, the Gamble Mill was condemned and slated for destruction due to neglect. With help from a dedicated local group, Ted Conklin was able to purchase the building in 1975. Over the next year the building became the first building in Bellefonte to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Over a period of 10 years, Ted, with the help of Steve Kutches and Jeanne Murphy labored to restore the building for use as a restaurant. They put up walls and ceiling where there were none, bathrooms and kitchens where there were only empty holes, oak bars and brick floors, and openings in stone walls. Courtney Confer came on to plan the menu and take them through the difficult task of really opening for business. Courtney became a partner and from the restaurant's early beginnings as a soup and sandwich eatery, slowly transformed the Gamble Mill's menu into a full service restaurant of fine dining. Ted and Steve went on to other endeavors and Courtney and Jeanne remained as the proprietors of both the restaurant and building until 2008, when ownership was transferred to Dave Fonash and Paul Kendeffy of the Fonash.Kendeffy Restaurant Group. In 2010 an 8 barrel Micro-Brewery was added to the Mill. Beginning the property's newest usage, a brewery.

Back