Mill at Freedom Falls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mill at Freedom Falls
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | South side of Mill St., 125 feet (38 m) west of Pleasant St., Freedom, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1834 |
| NRHP reference No. | 12000228 |
| Added to NRHP | April 19, 2012 |
The Mill at Freedom Falls is a very old building in Freedom, Maine. It is located where Mill Street and Pleasant Street meet. This main building was built in 1834. It is special because it is the only mill built at this exact spot. It is also the only mill from that time in the village that still looks almost the same. Because it is so important, the mill and its old dam are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a protected historic site.
Discovering the Mill at Freedom Falls
The Mill at Freedom Falls is found in the small village of Freedom. This village is a quiet, country area in western Waldo County, Maine. You can find the mill south of Pleasant Street and east of Mill Street. It sits right on the west bank of Sandy Stream.
What Does the Mill Look Like?
The mill building has two stories. It is made from a strong wooden frame, called a timber-framed structure. The bottom part of the mill, its foundation, is made of granite and rough stones. This part is open towards the stream. Connected to the main building are smaller parts. These parts have roofs that are either pointed (gabled) or sloped (shed-roofed).
Just a little way up the stream from the mill, you can see its dam. This dam is made of concrete and stone. It was first built around 1829 and then fixed up in 1927. If you look below the mill, you might still see parts of an old concrete channel. This channel, called a tailrace, used to carry water away from the mill.
A Look Back in Time: The Mill's History
The village of Freedom grew up partly because of Sandy Stream. The stream has a big drop of about 70 feet (21 meters) in a short distance. This made it a perfect spot for early mills. Mills use the power of flowing water to turn machinery. In the 1800s, many different water-powered businesses were here. However, all their buildings have either been torn down or changed a lot over time.
This specific mill was built in 1834 by a man named John True. He already owned another mill on the stream. This mill was first used as a gristmill. A gristmill grinds grain, like wheat or corn, into flour.
Later, around 1894, farming in the area started to slow down. So, the mill changed what it did. It became a turning mill. This type of mill uses machines to shape wood. It made things like tool handles and other wooden items. A sawmill was built across the stream to cut raw wood into pieces for the turning mill. There was even a building that connected the two mills over the stream! Sadly, the sawmill and the connecting building are no longer there.
The Mill at Freedom Falls stopped working in 1969 and was left empty for a while. But it has since been given a new life! Today, it is home to a restaurant, a school, and other businesses. It's a great example of how old buildings can be used again in new ways.
