Cyclades Olive Museum - Andros: The building. The oil mill in Pitrofos, also known as the Pitrofos "vida", is part of a two floors building and occupies a big part of the ground floor ("katogi"), while the home of the owner ("vidatoras" or "liotriviaris") is at the upper floor. It is a fine example of a small pre-industrial, animal powered, olive oil producing unit. Many home units like this one were scattered in Andros highlands. There were still operational during the 60's and, with their family business character, served the small local market. This specific oil mill presents something uncommon; it has many rooms, in contrast to most oil mills in Andros, where the whole procedure was confined in only one small room. The building dates back earlier than 1857. Various preserved elements, such as three mill stones, two stone milling-plates, and other structural details, prove that it was operational during 18th century. Moreover, in 1857 it was re-sold, together with the upper floor home, as a complete oil mill. With a well looked after facade and inner stonework, it presents interesting architectural elements, such as arches, domes, etc, common in rural Andros and generally characterizing the architectural functionality in Cycladic islands.

You can see some views of the building in detail and with an interesting way at link:      photosynth.net/view.aspx

The first owner gave it as dowry, for his daughter Diamanto, to her husband Stamatis Mileos. The building is known as "despotiko", since the Bishop ("Despotis") of  Varna (now city of Bulgaria) in 1820 Filotheos Karkakes originating from Andros, lived the last years of his life. In 1955 Diamanto, widow of Stamatis Mileos, sold it to sailor Miltiadis Goneos, who operated it till his death in January 1963. His widow, Elisavet Goneos, continued for four more years the operation of the oil mill, till 1967, when it finally stopped. Since then it was used as a storehouse by her relatives. In 1997 the whole building (house and old oil mill) was bought by its present owner, Civil Engineer Dimitris Chelmis, originating from Pitrofos. At first he transferred the usage of the ground floor, where the oil mill and almost all of its equipment survives, to Andros Development, for restoration and transformation to a museum. Afterwards with his personal efforts he refered to relative programs of the the E.U. in order to improove the construction and the equipment of the museum. The visitor can take a close look at a typical preindustrial example of a well preserved small olive oil production unit and get to know better the operation of a traditional family business industry.