When Ben Borden of Gloucester passed away in early 2022, there was a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the fate of Borden’s Saw Mill.

Husband and wife duo and friends of Borden, Greg Sprock and Jeri Jenkins, had been working with Borden for years and didn’t want to see it close permanently. The two acquired the historic mill on Providence Road and have reopened it to keep it running.

The sawmill, which opened at its current location in 1935, had been a fixture of the community for decades. The first Borden sawmill was started at Gloucester Point in 1870. After the move it was a sawmill and cooperage for a time before being totally dedicated as a mill. A cooperage makes barrels and the barrels produced at Borden’s Saw Mill were used to transport oysters and produce, said Sprock.

Sprock said a driving desire to keep the mill open is because of the importance it has in the community. He said taking over Borden’s Saw Mill is a real honor for himself and his wife. The pair sai...