Clary Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Clary Mill
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 104 Mills Rd., Whitefield, Maine |
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| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1893 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 04001283 |
| Added to NRHP | December 2, 2004 |
The Clary Mill is a historic building in Whitefield, Maine. It was once a very busy sawmill. A sawmill is a place where logs are cut into lumber. This mill is important because it's the last old sawmill left in Whitefield. The town used to have many mills.
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What is the Clary Mill?
The Clary Mill is a two-story wooden building. It sits next to a stream that flows into the Sheepscot River. The mill property also includes a pond and a dam. These parts helped the mill work long ago.
Where is the Clary Mill Located?
You can find the Clary Mill north of North Whitefield village. It's on Mills Road, which is also Maine State Route 218. The mill building is on one side of the road. The mill pond is on the other side. This pond gets its water from Clary Lake.
How Did the Mill Work?
The mill used water power to cut wood. A stone dam helped control the water. A large steel pipe, called a penstock, carried water. This water would spin a wheel inside the mill. The spinning wheel powered the saws. Today, the penstock is not used.
A Look Inside the Mill
The Clary Mill building is made of wood. It has a pointed roof. Inside, some of the old sawmill equipment is still there. Other parts were brought in later. In the 1980s, the mill was changed into an antique shop. Now, the building is empty.
History of the Clary Mill
People started settling in Whitefield in the 1770s. This area quickly became a place for mills. By the 1780s, there were about twelve mills here. A hundred years later, there were nineteen mills!
The Clary Mill itself was built in 1897. Henry W. Clary started it. He ran the mill until after World War I. Other owners kept it running as a sawmill. It operated until the mid-1980s. The Clary Mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
