Newlin Mill Complex facts for kids

Newlin Mill Complex
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
North side of the mill building
Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	U.S. 1 and Cheyney Road, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
Built	1704
NRHP reference No.	83002240
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	March 9, 1983

The Newlin Mill Complex, also known as The Newlin Grist Mill, is a historic site in Pennsylvania. It features a water-powered gristmill built in 1704. A gristmill is a place where grain is ground into flour or meal. This mill is located on the west branch of Chester Creek near Concordville.

Nathaniel and Mary Newlin built the mill, and it was used for business until 1941. Over the years, it had different names like the Lower Mill and the Concord Flour Mill. In 1958, E. Mortimer Newlin bought the property. He had it restored and gave it to the Nicholas Newlin Foundation. Today, it is a historical park. The mill still uses water power to grind corn meal, which you can buy there. The park has five historic buildings and about 150 acres (61 ha) of natural woodland. These buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Early History of Newlin Mill (1683-1739)

Southwest view of the mill

Nicholas Newlin was an Irishman and a member of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. Quakers faced challenges for their beliefs in Ireland. In May 1683, Nicholas Newlin, his wife Elizabeth, and their three children moved to Pennsylvania. They sailed on a ship called Levee from Liverpool.

In October 1683, Nicholas bought the mill property from William Penn. This land was in Concord Township, about ten miles (16 km) northwest of Chester. Nicholas Newlin was an important person in the area. He served on the province's governing body, the Provincial Council, in 1686 and 1687. He also worked as a Justice of the Peace and in the courts of Chester County.

Nicholas's son, Nathaniel, married Mary Mendenhall in 1684. Mary received more land as a gift to her and her brothers and sisters in 1685.

Nathaniel and Mary Mendenhall built the current mill in 1704. It was the third gristmill in the township. Nathaniel also served as a Justice of the Peace and in the courts. He was part of the Provincial Assembly from 1698 to 1722. Nathaniel inherited land from his father, and Mary also owned land. They also bought about 7,750 acres (3,140 ha) of land that became Newlin Township. This made them one of the biggest landowners in Chester County. When Nathaniel Newlin died in 1729 without a will, his land was divided among his children. His oldest son, Nicholas, received a larger share.

Later History of Newlin Mill (1739-Present)

In 1739, Nathaniel Newlin III, who was Nathaniel's grandson, built a house for the main miller. In 1742, William and Anne Trimble, who owned a nearby gristmill, built a house overlooking the Newlin mill. About a mile west in Concordville, Nathaniel's son Nicholas built the Nicholas Newlin House in 1742. This house is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1777, the Battle of Brandywine took place just a few miles from the mill. General George Washington had ordered millstones removed from nearby mills. This was to make it harder for British troops to get supplies. It is not clear how this order affected Newlin Mill.

Southeastern Pennsylvania was a major producer of grain in colonial times. Mills could easily be powered by the fast-flowing streams in the area, known as the Fall Line. By 1781, there were 127 gristmills in Chester County. The Newlin mill mostly served local needs. It was known as a "country mill" because it produced flour for local use. "Merchant mills" made finer flour for cities and for selling to other countries.

The Newlin family owned the mill until 1817. Then, they sold it to William Trimble, Jr. This happened because of disagreements among Thomas Newlin's children after he died in 1811.

The Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad was built through the property in 1859. This allowed the mill to sell its flour in Philadelphia and Baltimore. A railway station was built in 1868. Samuel Hill bought the mill in 1869. In 1942, the mill stopped grinding grain for business. The buildings were used as a bookstore and an antique shop for a while. In 1956, E. Mortimer Newlin, a descendant of Nicholas, bought the property. He later started the Nicholas Newlin Foundation to save and protect the mill. The mill was restored in 1962 and again in 1992.

Buildings at Newlin Mill

The Mill Building

The mill building is 35 feet (11 m) wide and 70 feet (21 m) long. A stone on the outside wall shows "Nathan'l Mary Newlin 1704." The dam and the half-mile long mill race were built in the same year. The mill race is a channel that brings water to power the mill. The first grindstone came all the way from France. The mill was built into a hillside using fieldstone. The north side has two stories, while the south side has one.

The mill wheel was first outside the mill and was likely a breastshot wheel. This means water hit the wheel near its middle. It was rebuilt in 1976. It weighs 1,500 pounds (680 kg) and is 16 by 4 feet (4.9 by 1.2 m) with 52 buckets. The water flows out underground through the tail race. It then travels about 150 yards (140 m) back to Chester Creek. The floors and machines inside the mill are held up by a hurst frame. This is an inner timber frame that is separate from the stone walls. This way, vibrations from the grinding do not damage the outer walls. You can watch corn being ground at the mill.

After 1817, William Trimble made the mill bigger and put the mill wheel inside. At that time, it ground about 60,000 bushels of corn each year. Before 1850, the mill was updated with Oliver Evans' automated mill design. It then started grinding wheat flour. In 1850, the owner Casper Sharpless bought 20,000 bushels of wheat for $22,000. He sold flour worth $30,000.

In 1870, the mill produced these items:

At that time, the mill had four millstones. It also had two wooden overshot water wheels. These wheels had a 24-foot (7.3 m) drop for the water, making about 20 horsepower (15 kW) of power. An upper story made of wood was added around 1890.

The Warehouse

Warehouse

The warehouse is a 2+1⁄2-story stone building. It is located east of the mill's lower level. Nathaniel Newlin built it after the mill to use as a dry goods store. Today, it holds the Foundation's historical records.

The Miller's House

Miller's house

This stone house was built in 1739. It is next to the south side of the mill. It has two rooms on each of its two floors. Each room has a fireplace, and the kitchen has a beehive oven. A third story was added around 1860 but was removed during a restoration in the 1960s. This house is different from the Newlin Miller's House about 12 miles (19 km) north in West Whiteland Township.

The Trimble House

Trimble House

This house was built into the hill above the mill and the miller's house in 1742. It also had four rooms. By 1765, it was made larger for William Trimble's growing family. It has nine fireplaces, a 53 foot (16 m) deep well, and many of its original floors, wood, doors, and hardware. The Newlin Foundation bought the house in 1998. It is now used as a private home.

The Railway Station

Old railway station

This 1+1⁄2-story Gothic-style station was built by Samuel Hill in 1868–1869. It served as a post office and a place for people to vote for the mill workers in the area. It burned down in 1890 but was rebuilt the next year. It was used as a railway station until the 1930s. Now, it is the park office.

Newlin Mill Park

The five original buildings are the main part of a 150 acres (61 ha) park. Most of the park is natural woodland. A springhouse from 1710 was moved to the park from a local farm in the 1970s. A small barn was also moved from northern Delaware to the area behind the miller's house. In 1965, a log cabin was built. It is used for meetings, parties, and other events. A new replica of an 18th-century blacksmith shop was built in 1975. The park also includes two ball fields.

Images for kids

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  The "Black Dam," built 1704

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  Mill race takes water from the dam to the mill

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  Spillway regulates waterflow