Chesapeake Mill facts for kids
The Chesapeake Mill is a special watermill located in Wickham, Hampshire, England. This old flour mill was built in 1820 using a very unusual material: the strong wooden timbers from a captured warship! This ship was originally called the USS Chesapeake, a United States Navy frigate. It was captured by the British Royal Navy during the War of 1812.
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The Chesapeake Mill: A Ship's Second Life
The USS Chesapeake was a famous American warship. On June 1, 1813, during the War of 1812, it was captured by a British ship called HMS Shannon. After its capture, the ship was renamed HMS Chesapeake by the British.
From Warship to Watermill: How it Happened
In July 1819, the British Navy decided to sell the HMS Chesapeake. A man named Joshua Holmes, who worked as a ship breaker in Portsmouth, bought the ship for £500. He then carefully took the ship apart and sold its timbers for a much higher price, £3,450.
Many of these timbers were bought by John Prior, who was planning to build a new mill in Wickham. He used the strong wood from the ship to create the mill's main structure. The five big beams on each floor, the floor supports, the roof timbers, and most of the window frames are made from American longleaf pine wood that came from the Chesapeake ship.
What's Inside the Mill Today?
The Chesapeake Mill worked as a flour mill for a very long time, until 1976. Today, it has a new purpose! It's now a busy shopping center where you can find antique items and gifts. The building is also recognized as a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historic place.
A Piece of History Returns Home
Over the years, small pieces of the original Chesapeake frigate have been returned to the United States. In 1996, a small piece of timber from the Chesapeake Mill was sent back to the U.S. You can see it on display at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum in Norfolk, Virginia.
Later, in late 2020, another piece of the original ship was returned. This piece was given to the Secretary of the Navy during his visit to England. These returned timbers help connect the mill's history back to its origins as an American warship.
