The potter's mill in Č. Meziříčí will receive a new roof this year

České Meziříčí - The reconstruction of the Hrnčíř Mill in České Meziříčí in the Rychnov region will begin in the spring after the winter break. This year, the roof and trusses should be addressed. Vlastimil Šimek from the Society for the Protection of Historical Monuments in Eastern Bohemia (SOPVC), which owns the dilapidated 18th-century building, told ČTK. The estimated costs for the repair of the building are around ten million crowns.

"Last year, about 300,000 crowns were invested, not counting volunteer hours. Electricity was installed, wiring was done, and the southeast gable wall and six new windows were repaired. This year, we want to focus primarily on repairing the roof and truss, for about three-quarters of a million crowns," Šimek told ČTK.

According to him, the roof is in critical condition. "The truss is wooden, and part of the damaged rafters will need to be replaced. The fired tiles, which are over a hundred years old, will also need to be replaced," added Šimek.

The association wants to establish a milling museum and a community center in the renovated mill. The organization is also considering the possibility of creating an exhibition dedicated to Archbishop Karel Otčenášek, who was born in České Meziříčí. The Hrnčíř Mill became a cultural monument in May 2019, shortly after SOPVC purchased the building for a symbolic crown from a nearby sugar factory. The previous owner wanted to demolish the building.

The mill building was constructed in 1740 on the site of what was probably an older structure and was gradually reconstructed into its current form. The mill originally had three water-powered mill wheels fed by the Mlýnský brook, now known as the Golden brook. In 1848, František Šefelín bought the mill from the Colloredo-Mansfeld estate in Opočno. The mill operated until the 1950s.