Thresher Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Thresher Mill
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HAER photo, 1979
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | West Barnet Road, approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the village of Barnet, Vermont |
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| Area | 4.1 acres (1.7 ha) |
| Built | 1836 |
| Built by | Bartholomew Carrick, Alexander Jack |
| Architectural style | propped plank and timber dam |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000386 |
| Added to NRHP | April 4, 1996 |
The Thresher Mill is a really old and important building in Barnet, Vermont. It's a historic place where machines used to be powered by water! This mill, first built in 1836, was the very last water-powered mill to work on the Stevens River. It kept running until the late 1900s. Today, the property includes the original mill dam and a building from 1872. There are also hidden spots where other old buildings used to stand. The Thresher Mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. Now, it's known as Ben's Mill and works as a local museum.
Contents
Exploring the Thresher Mill Site
The Thresher Mill is in a quiet, countryside area just west of Barnet Center. It sits between the Stevens River to the north and West Barnet Road to the south. The main things you can see at the site are the mill building itself and the old dam across the river.
The Mill Building and Dam
The main mill building has two and a half stories and is made of wood. It has extra single-story parts on each side. The roof is made of metal, and the outside walls are covered with wooden clapboards. The dam stretches out from the building across the river. It's mostly built from strong planks and logs. Around the mill, both north and south, you can find the remains of old barns and a tannery. A tannery was a place where animal hides were turned into leather.
A Look Back at the Mill's History
The story of industry at this spot began in 1836. That's when Benjamin Carrick bought the land and the rights to use the river's water. He built a log cabin there. Carrick also built a stone dam, and parts of it are still visible above the wooden dam today. He started a sawmill, which cut wood, and a tannery.
New Beginnings in the 1870s
The site was left empty for a while after 1850. But in the early 1870s, a man named Alexander Jack started it up again. He built the main part of the current dam and the mill building we see today. Jack ran many different businesses at the site. He did dyeing, which is coloring fabrics, and also machining and blacksmithing. Blacksmithing is the craft of shaping metal with heat and tools.
Powering the Future with Water
In the early 1900s, a water turbine was put in at the mill. A water turbine uses the force of moving water to create power. This turbine was one of the first things to provide electricity to the nearby village of Barnet. Imagine getting electricity from a mill!
Ben Thresher's Legacy
Ben Thresher owned the property from 1947 until he passed away in 1994. During his time, the mill still had working machines powered by water. In 1982, a documentary film called Ben's Mill was released. It was even nominated for an Academy Award, which is a very big honor for movies!
See also
