The Boiler Whistles Again

Olive oil production became an industry in Lesvos. Following was a museum.

Once upon a time in Agia Paraskevi of Lesvos, the olive mill’s boiler whistled every morning, calling workers to their shifts. Equipped with innovative machinery from the Issigonis factory in Smyrna, the “People’s Mill” operated continuously from 1911 to 1967, contributing to the community’s economic development. After falling into disuse, the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation restored the mill, establishing the Museum of Industrial Olive Oil Production, Lesvos. Highlighting the mechanisation of oil production, the museum became municipality property. Today, the boiler whistles, the old English steam engine starts, and the mill’s pumps, presses and separators come to life. Guests walk around the warehouses, called bates. It is a journey to the birth of industry and prosperity in Lesvos.

Photos : Perikles Merakos