Mill Details

Breneman Mill / Turner Mill

Rockingham Co. | Virginia | USA
Known Dates: 1800
Township: Linville Creek Twp.
Watersource: West Fork of Linville Creek.

Location / Directions

Breneman Mill / Turner Mill

Travel north from Harrisonburg on SR 42, look for CR 778 on the west side of the highway just south of Edom. Take 778 west for one mile to the mill on the right.

Breneman Mill / Turner Mill
Robert T. Kinsey 04/29/2006

This mill was built c. 1800 by Abraham Breneman,, who had moved to Virginia from Pa. A long mill race carried water from the west fork of Linville Creek. Breneman sold the mill to George Shaver in 1849. George sold it to his son, Peter.

Breneman Mill / Turner Mill
Robert T. Kinsey 04/29/2006

Peter then sold it to his daughter and son-in-law John D. and Maggie Shaver Shirey for $1.00. The Shirey's sold it to E. M. Shaver in 1882, who defaulted on the sale.

Breneman Mill / Turner Mill
Robert T. Kinsey 04/29/2006

The next owners were J. P. Swank who purchased it in 1887 and sold it to J. J. Hawse in 1892. Hawse sells it to C. L. Rhodes in 1896 and J. W. Stultz becomes the owner in 1904. On June 7, 1933, J. Howard Turner, who had been without a job for over a year, bought the old abandoned mill 'for a song' he said.

Breneman Mill / Turner Mill
Soon Kim

Breneman-Turner Mill, taken Nov. 2011

Breneman Mill / Turner Mill
Robert T. Kinsey 04/29/2006

The mill continued to operate until 1988 using the same techniques as it did when it was built. One of Turner's 3 pair of burr stones has been in use since the mill was built.

Breneman Mill / Turner Mill
Robert T. Kinsey 04/29/2006

The mill was never converted to the roller system. While the mill primarily ground flour, it was reduced to producing only animal feed in 1973 by ' the food laws ' Turner said. He sometimes would grind the feed very fine, like flour, but still called it animal feed.

Breneman Mill / Turner Mill
Robert T. Kinsey 04/29/2006

Turner said he was always the only employee at his mill. He operated the mill in January of 1988. He became ill and passed away in Dec. of that year.

 
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