By Taylor Hale
PORTAGE COUNTY – Area Photographer Robert Rosen took advantage of COVID-19 to take stunning photos of one of Portage County’s many historical sites without any visitors or tourists.

Rosen contacted the Star Mill in Nelsonville to get some photos of the mill while it was serenely quiet.

“The mill is the oldest surviving flour mill in Central Wisconsin dating from 1868. It is in the National Registry of historic buildings and is owned by the Portage County Historical Society,” Rosen said. “When COVID struck last spring, I arranged to do photography in the mill while it was closed to the public.”

Many of the photographs in the series are of rarely seen areas, often inaccessible to the public. They include breath-taking scenery of the machinery, grain storage bins, architectural features, and more.

On Sept 18-19, the series will be presented at the Star Mill, 3190 County Highway Q, Nelsonville, with 20 percent of proceeds going to maintain the mill. Rosen’s work can also be seen and purchased at Gallery Q in Stevens Point, located at 1108 Main St., Stevens Point.

Rosen was a former professor of percussion at UW+Stevens Point and has had his photography work receive the Juror’s Choice Award at the Visions XIII in 2011, Visions XIV in 2012 at the Riverfront Arts Center in Stevens Point.He has also collaborated with Dan Holland and presented “Soul of the River,” a celebration of the Little Wolf River at the Tomorrow River Gallery. and has had his work displayed at other Wisconsin Galleries.

To learn more about Rosen’s work, visit Robertrosenphotography.com.