More than a century after it was built in southeast Saskatchewan, the Esterhazy Flour Mill has been declared a national historic site of Canada.

On Wednesday, the federal government announced the designation for the mill, one of the few local flour mill buildings left on the Prairies.

"This designation acknowledges the historic role that milling played in the development of the West, and recognizes the rich history of agriculture in this country," Ralph May, a member of Friends of the Flour Mill, said in a release.

Saskatchewan entrepreneur James Saunders built the Esterhazy Flour Mill between 1904 and 1907. It ceased operations in the 1980s.

The mill, which spurred early development in Esterhazy and area, still contains almost all of its original equipment, according to background information released by the federal government.

The Esterhazy mill joins dozens of other Saskatchewan sites that have been declared national historic sites. Others include Government House in Regina, Saskatoon's Forestry Park and Zoo and the Claybank Brick Plant.

Esterhazy is about 230 kilometres east of Regina.