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The Grist Mill
This was the third of three mills built by Nicholas Newlin's family. Built in 1704 by Nathaniel, it was owned by the Newlin family until 1817. It operated commercially until 1941. In 1958, the mill was purchased by E. Mortimer Newlin, ninth generation descendant of Nicholas Newlin. Restoration then began.
The mill is water powered, borrowing water from the creek via the mill race, and returning it underground in the tail race. Through a series of gears, the power of the water is transmitted from the water wheel to an upright shaft which supports and turns the grinding stone.
During its history, the mill ground wheat, corn, oats, buckwheat, and rye. Today, corn is ground into cornmeal which can be purchased in the office.
The Newlin Grist Mill was placed in the National Register of Historic Places on March 9, 1983. The mill is funded in part by a General Operating Support Grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
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Witness the power of water!Take a trip back in time by exploring the Grist Mill's educational exhibit. Learn about the people, tools, and techniques involved in the milling process. Watch the Mill in Action.Select the appropriate link below to watch the Newlin Mill in action. |
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The Miller's House
In 1739, Nathaniel Newlin III (grandson of Nathaniel Newlin) built a stone house for the Miller, adjacent to the Mill. The house consists of two rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs with a fireplace in each and a beehive oven outside the kitchen fireplace. A third story and rear addition were added circa 1860. The top floor was removed when the house was restored in the 1960s. The house is furnished with period pieces acquired by Elizabeth Battles Newlin during the restoration.
Trimble House
The original house was built in 1739 by William and Anne Trimble, owners of a mill downstream from the Newlin mill. It began as a simple two story, four room bank house. By 1765, the final rooms had been added to the west section of the house to accommodate William Trimble's second wife and family. William Trimble Jr. purchased the adjacent grist mill in 1817 from the Newlin family. The house remained in the Trimble family until the late nineteenth century when it became property of Samuel Hill, new owner of the grist mill. Few structural changes were made over the years, and much of the original flooring, woodwork, doors, and hardware remains intact. The house features nine fireplaces, three of which are large walk-ins, plus a fifty-three foot deep stone well. This building is an excellent example of the residence of an eighteenth century property holder. In 1998, the Newlin Foundation acquired the Trimble house, and it is now being used as a private residence.
The Barn
Behind the miller's house is a small bank barn. Removed from a northern Delaware farm and erected on this site in 1986, it serves as a reminder that in the 18th century, people were forced to be much more self-sufficient than today.
The Office
The building that serves as the Visitor Center for Newlin Grist Mill was originally built as a railroad station in the 1850s. Known as Markham Station, it also served as a post office for many years. The ticket office was closed by the mid 1900s, but the Octoraro branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad used the rail line until 1971 when a severe flood destroyed a nearby bridge. Beginning in the 1960s, Newlin Grist Mill used the station house as a residence and then as a an office and reception area until March 2000. With the help of a team of restoration specialists, the old station house was refurbished to its original 19th century appearance, including the formal Victorian wallpaper on the interior. It reopened as the Visitor Center several months later with staff offices, a large meeting room, and public restrooms added to its west side. The three photos show the building from different directions. In May 2001 the station house was officially dedicated and named the Willam Ver Planck Newlin Visitor Center after a descendent of the original Newlin family and a long-time trustee of the Nicholas Newlin Foundation.
Grain Storage
Next to the mill is a grain storage building constructed during the first part of the nineteenth century. It is currently being renovated to house the archives and library of the Newlin Foundation.
