Peirce Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Peirce Mill
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Peirce Mill in 2008
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 Location in District of Columbia
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| Location | Tilden Street and Beach Drive, N.W., Washington, District of Columbia, United States |
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| Built | 1820 |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000014 |
| Added to NRHP | March 24, 1969 |
The Peirce Mill is a historic building located in Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., United States. It was once a busy mill that ground grains into flour. Today, it stands as a reminder of the past and offers visitors a glimpse into how things used to be made.
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History of Peirce Mill
A man named Issac Peirce, who was a skilled builder of mills (a millwright), built this mill. He built it either in 1820 or 1829. Issac Peirce rebuilt the mill using new ideas from Oliver Evans. These ideas helped make the milling process more automated. This meant that much of the machinery worked by itself on the upper floors.
In the 1860s, the mill was very busy. Up to 12 wagons full of wheat would arrive each day to be ground. The mill could grind about 70 bushels of grain per day with one set of millstones. A bushel is a way to measure dry goods like grain.
The mill stopped grinding grain for money in 1897. This happened when a main part, called the shaft, broke. It broke while a miller named Alcibiades P. White was grinding rye. After that, the building became a public teahouse until the 1930s.
Government Ownership and Restoration
The U.S. Government bought the mill in 1892. It became part of Rock Creek Park.
Peirce Mill was fixed up as a project by the Public Works Administration. This was a government program that created jobs during the Great Depression. The restoration was finished in March 1936. It cost about $26,614.
The mill started working again on October 27, 1936. A miller named Robert A. Little was in charge. From 1936 to 1958, the mill made flour for government cafeterias. After 1958, it was mostly used as a historical site. This was because there weren't enough trained mill workers. Also, there wasn't enough water in the millrace, which is the channel that carries water to power the mill's wheel.
Recent Reopening
The mill closed down in April 1993. In 1997, a group called the Friends of Peirce Mill (FOPM) started working to restore it. The mill was fixed up with help from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This was a government plan to help the economy.
The mill officially reopened in October 2011. Now, the National Park Service (NPS) often shows how the mill works. These demonstrations usually happen on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, from April through October.
- Historic Peirce Mill in Rock Creek Park, Washington DC USA.
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Peirce Mill front exterior.
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The breast-shot wheel
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Peirce Mill back exterior.
Interesting Facts
The mill has three sets of millstones. These large, round stones are used to grind grain. Each millstone is about 4 and a half feet wide. They weigh around 2,400 pounds, which is about the same as a small car!
When the millstones are working, they spin very fast. They rotate about 125 times every minute. About 60% of the mill's power is used just to turn these heavy millstones. The rest of the power runs the other machines in the mill.
The Peirce family, who owned the mill, were not millers themselves. They hired other people to operate the mill and grind the grain.
Peirce Mill vs. Pierce Mill
It can be a little confusing, but there was another mill called "Pierce" Mill (spelled with an "i" instead of an "e"). This other mill was located on the Potomac River. It is not the same as the Peirce Mill in Rock Creek Park. The "Pierce" Mill is also listed in the National Park Service records and was near Fletcher's Boathouse.
