Taylor Mill State Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Taylor Mill State Historic Site |
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Taylor Mill
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| Location | Derry, New Hampshire, United States |
| Elevation | 269 feet (82 m) |
| Administered by | New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation & New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands |
| Designation | New Hampshire state park |
| Website | Taylor Mill Historic Site |
The Taylor Mill State Historic Site is a special state park in New Hampshire. It's found within the 71-acre Ballard State Forest in Derry. This site protects a very old sawmill from 1799. It's called the Taylor Up and Down Sawmill.
This historic sawmill still works today! You can visit it on weekends during the summer. The site is located on Island Pond Road, just east of downtown Derry. It's a great place to see how things were made long ago.
The Mill's Story
The land for the sawmill was bought in 1799 by Robert Taylor. He was one of the first owners. The mill started working in the early 1800s. We don't know exactly when it stopped running.
A New Life for the Mill
In 1939, the land was sold to Ernest Ballard. By then, the original mill was gone. Mr. Ballard found a similar old mill in Sandown, New Hampshire. He bought it and took it apart.
Ernest and his wife spent two years putting the mill back together. They also had to find missing parts. The most important missing piece was the water wheel. They ordered a new one from a company in Pennsylvania.
In 1953, Ernest Ballard gave the mill and the land to the state of New Hampshire. This 71-acre area became Ballard State Forest. The pond above the mill is now called Ballard Pond.
How the Mill Works
The water wheel at Taylor Mill is huge! It is 12 feet (3.7 m) tall and 6 feet (1.8 m) wide. This wheel uses the power of water to make the mill run.
Sawing Logs at Taylor Mill
The mill can cut logs that are up to 10 feet (3.0 m) long. They can also be as wide as 28 inches (71 cm) across. The saw moves up and down 60 times every minute.
This type of mill is called an "up and down mill." It's a machine version of a regular saw. This technology is very old. Around 1825, water-powered circular saws became more common. Taylor Mill is one of the few places where you can still see this old technology working.
