Kathleen J. O’Hara

Elly Doyle Service Award Winners

Kathleen J. O’Hara

Kathleen “Kitty” O’Hara has been giving tours at Colvin Run Mill for 17 years and supports the historic site as the treasurer for the Friends of Colvin Run Mill. She shares her knowledge about milling and the importance of simple machines with hundreds of the county’s third graders who visit the mill each year on school field trips. This past year, she initiated the design and purchase of a unique educational object that will give visitors a hands-on experience and a “behind the curtain” look at how raw grain and finished flour is moved around the mill untouched by human hands. The model is expected to significantly enhance the visitor experience. As a docent at the mill, O’Hara had to learn the mechanical engineering attributes of a site important in the Industrial Revolution and went on to teach the popular “Simple Machines” program. Through Friends of Colvin Run Mill, O’Hara has developed new fundraising mechanisms and established the group’s web page. She also distributes the group’s newsletter each quarter to nearly 500 recipients.