Volunteers from the Acasă în Banat association have started rebuilding the roof of the mill in Valeapai (Caraș-Severin), an industrial-heritage building abandoned for more than two decades. The job covers about 500 square metres of roofing with serious stability problems, after much of the structure had already collapsed when the association took over.

“We’re actually rebuilding it now,” association president Radu Trifan told G4Media. Four specialised craftsmen lead the work; volunteers handle site logistics, hauling and other support. The yard is scheduled for two weeks in November 2026.

The mill dates from the late 19th century: it began as a water mill with a turbine, then moved through steam, diesel and finally electric power. It once ground grain for several villages around Valeapai before falling into ruin and vandalism.

In 2023, after legal clarification, the building became property of Ramna commune; since 2024 it has been leased for 30 years to Acasă în Banat. Collapsed walls were rebuilt in spring with craftsmen from Hungary; stopping water through the roof is now the priority.

The project has no public funding, only donations and sponsorships. Trifan has asked for volunteers and materials — beams, boards, fasteners — to avoid losing another winter. The long-term goal is a “living museum” of milling, with demos from grain to flour and bread, plus a tourism push for an area near Timișoara that remains little promoted.

This stage is thus an emergency structural save, not a ready museum. Without a solid roof, the wall work already done risks being undone by rain.

Source consulted: Rescue of the Valeapai mill begins / Acasă în Banat volunteers rebuild the roof — G4Media