Ann & Phil Mason, Judy Barber Walpole, great grandchildren of A Masons & Sons founder Albert Mason

Recorded on June 8, 2026 at the Peru Town Hall A. Mason & Sons, in its heyday, was the main employer of Peru. For nearly a century, from 1883 to 1972, Mason’s was the “heart and lifeblood” of the town. Residents listened for the Mill’s steam whistle to blow three times each day, at 8:00 am, at noon and at 5:00 pm. Mason’s Mill employed approximately eighty-five men during the summer and up to two hundred men and fifty teams of horses during the winter. Many local farmers added to their incomes by cutting logs during the winter. The logs were hauled by horse and sleigh and stacked along Mason or one of his six sons supervised all operations at the mill, from the initial sawing of the logs into rough lumber to the finished product. The mill produced its own steam power and electricity. Sawdust was burned for fuel, and no pollutants were dumped into the river. Mason’s produced many items, including building materials, columns, bookcases, apple crates and furniture. They specialized in making interior moldings and were the only local sawmill to do so, which contributed to their success. Mason’s also had the honor of making bobsleds used in the 1932 Olympics at Lake Placid. During WW II, the mill made ammunition boxes for the U.S. Government and manufactured prefabricated houses for defense workers in Maryland and Virginia. In 1954 Mason Homes Inc. was formed under Philip Mason to build and sell Gunnison Homes. These pre- fabricated, steel frame houses can still be seen along McIntosh Dr., Locust Dr., and Holden Ave. in the village. At the time, a three bedroom home sold starting at $9,400. Due to the increased use of plastics, the demand for custom wood millwork decreased and A Mason and Sons Lumber Mill closed in the Fall of 1972.