Union Mills Homestead Historic District facts for kids
The Union Mills Homestead Historic District is a special place in Westminster, Maryland. It's like a time capsule that shows what life was like long ago. This historic area includes an old house, a mill, and other buildings. The same family, the Shrivers, has lived here for over 200 years! Today, it's a museum where you can learn about American history.
Quick facts for kids |
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Union Mills Homestead Historic District
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in 1971
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 Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jct. of U.S. 140 and Deep Run Rd., Westminster, Maryland |
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| Area | 279 acres (113 ha) |
| Built by | Shriver, Andrew; Schriver, David |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000371 |
| Added to NRHP | January 25, 1971 |
Contents
Explore the Union Mills Homestead
The Union Mills Homestead Historic District is a national historic site. It is located near Westminster in Carroll County, Maryland. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
A Glimpse into the Past
The homestead includes several important buildings. There is a large family dwelling house. You can also see a brick grist mill. A grist mill grinds grain into flour. There is also a bark shed from an old tannery. A tannery is where animal hides are turned into leather. A reconstructed tannery barn is also part of the site. You can also find a special bridge designed by Bollman.
The Shriver Family's Long History
The Shriver Homestead was built in 1797. It was built by two brothers, Andrew and David Shriver. What makes this place so special is that the Shriver family has lived here continuously. Six generations of the family have called it home!
The mill was also built in 1797. It is a large brick building. The bricks were made right there, locally.
During the American Civil War, something interesting happened here. On June 30, 1863, General J.E.B. Stuart camped at Union Mills. He was a general for the Confederate Army. The Shriver family hosted him. The very next day, General James Barnes arrived. He was from the Union Army. Other members of the Shriver family welcomed him. It's amazing how the family hosted both sides!
Today, the Union Mills Homestead is a museum. It helps us learn about American culture and history. A non-profit group called the Union Mills Homestead Foundation runs it. They work to preserve and restore this important place.
Building the Homestead and Mill
Andrew and David Shriver bought a large piece of land. It was along Big Pipe Creek. This area had a strong water flow for a mill. There was also land for farming and grazing animals. Many black oak trees grew there. These trees provided bark for a tannery. The Shriver brothers knew a lot about tanning leather.
On January 25, 1797, the brothers hired John Mong. He was a mill builder from Frederick County. He agreed to build a grist mill and a saw mill. A saw mill cuts wood.
Soon after, Jacob Keefer and John Eckert were hired. They made 100,000 bricks for the mill. They were paid one French crown for every thousand bricks. The brick kiln was built near the creek.
The family house was also started in January 1797. Henry Kohlstock was hired to build a small double house. It was meant for the two brothers to live in. Kohlstock agreed to build two small houses. Each house was 14 by 17 feet. They were connected by a porch and a passage. Each house had one room upstairs and one room downstairs. There was a hallway in the middle and a small porch in front.
The cost of building the house was interesting. The total labor cost for the house was eighty-six dollars! This gives us an idea of how much things cost back then.
