Gerhardt's Mill / Reichard's Mill / "Gewitter Miehl"
Lehigh Co. | Pennsylvania | USA
Watersource: Saucon Creek or trib.
Gerhardt's Mill / Reichard's Mill / "Gewitter Miehl"
From Coopersburg, drive north on Pa 309. A mile north of the junction of Pa 309 and Pa 378, veer left on Lanark Road, go 1.5 miles, turn left on W. Hopewell Road. After 1.6 miles, turn right on the gravel Karpovich's Lane at a sharp left turn on W. Hopewell Rd. The mill is back down the lane about 0.5 miles on private property-ask permission.
The stone mill covered with stucco was probably built in the early 1800's. The mill is fully encircled by the gravel driveway.
The catshead has been converted into a dormer window, formerly which would have been a third door with the sack hoist crowning the top.
The "Gewitter Miehl" or Thunder Shower Mill, could only be in full operation after thunder storms provided enough flow or "freshet" in the southern tributary to Saucon Creek to power the mill.
When the water wheel deteriorated, the fluctuation of available water caused the mill to cease being used. Some grain grinding stones used as sidewalk and step leading to the miller's house. The mill was the only mill in the upper Saucon area to grind buckwheat flour.
The miller's house at one time had 14 inhabitants during the depression. Mr. Karpovich, the owner David Karr's grandfather, bought the mill around the depression/prohibition era.
The mill sat idle for some time during prohibition; and given it's secluded location, it was the subject of moonshiners building a still inside the ground floor. The wall had to knocked out by the revenuers in order to remove the still in one piece for evidence.
Noah Reichard & William Cressman operated the mill jointly for a time. Cressman dropped out and Reichard operated it until 1917. Reuben Schaffer continued the operation, switching to grinding various grains to produce livestock feeds on a custom basis.
The barn located on the Gerhardt Mill property. Notice the cave under the barnbridge of the bank barn. GPS: 40' 32.39N, 75' 25.84W 404' elevation
Tiger lilies bloom on the south side of the miller's house. The tiger lily seems to be very common along southeastern Pennsylvania roadsides, blooming prolificly June into July.