The process of the "Sawmill" as a symbol

As my research goes on, I am beginning to see the relevance of the “sawmill” as a symbol for the region. Not so much literally, but figuratively. Afterall, it wasn’t trees that put Bangor on the map, but lumber. The sawmill is an interesting place. It is a collector, a transformer, and a distributor. Logs came from all around the state via rivers, trucks, and trains. They underwent a transformation within the mill. They were then distributed out into the world. Is this a metaphor for what could/should be accomplished within my civic center??? People gather from all around in this place where they are “transformed” by new knowledge, experiences, sense of community, etc. They are then disseminated back out into the world? I am excited about the potential richness of this symbolism. If I could boil the sawmill down to its main components, collection, transformation, and distribution, I could use these to guide my design.