A heritage mill north of Rockwood burned to the ground Thursday morning.

Firefighters were called to the flour mill, which is located on Wellington Road 49 in the community of Everton, around 3:15 a.m.

Crews from Guelph, Guelph/Eramosa, Puslinch and Erin were brought in to battle the fire. In total, more than 30 firefighters were at the scee.

In the end, their efforts weren’t enough to stop the building from being destroyed.

By late morning, the fire was out. Firefighters remained at the scene dealing with hotspots.

The mill is owned by the Grand River Conservation Authority, which purchased it about 50 years ago but never followed through on plans to redevelop the property for recreational purposes.

It was built in 1821, and became known as Hortop’s Mill after previous owner William Hortop.

The GRCA says the building has been fenced off and boarded up for some time – and while it has been a popular target for vandals in the past, fire has never been an issue before.

Police and fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire and want to hear from anyone with information.

With reporting by Alexandra Pinto