In 1704, Nathaniel and Mary Newlin built a water-powered grist mill along the West Branch of Chester Creek. Despite several changes of ownership the mill ran continuously until 1941. In 1957, the Nicholas Newlin Foundation was created by E. Mortimer Newlin, a ninth generation descendant, to restore and maintain the mill as a museum. Today, the foundation 's purpose is to preserve the 150 acres, which are a refuge for plants, animals, and birds, as well as the park's historic buildings for pleasure and education of the public. A trip to the park offers visitors insights into the vanished life of the rural eighteenth century.