RUINS-Ben Prizer Mill
Chester Co. | Pennsylvania | USA
Watersource: Royal Springs trib. to French Creek.
RUINS-Ben Prizer Mill
Take 113 west from Phoenixville. About 1 mile east of Kimberton bear right onto Kimberton Rd. When you get to the middle of Kimberton turn right on Hares Hill Rd. & go north on Hares Hill Rd. for about 0.4 miles to Mill Lane on the left. Turn left and go about 0.1 miles to the ruins on your left. Mill Lane is a one way loop that comes back out on W. Seven Stars Road.
The mill was within 30' of Mill Lane in October 1987 in condition the picture indicates, but was gone in October 1992. I'm sure someone needed some fieldstone for a new house or a hsitoric restoration. The 40'x50', 2.5 story mill was listed on a Chester Co. survey map of 1856. Was stone covered over with stucco and was a grist and a saw mill. There was a cupola centered on the roof. The stone miller's house is across Mill Lane on a little rise.
The miller's house across Mill Lane from the Prizer mill site. The sugar maple was at its peak in the photo taken in October 1987.
The 40'x50', 2.5 story mill was listed on a Chester Co. survey map of 1856.
The datestone indicates the mill as standing today was built in 1869 by Benjamin Prizer.
The mill was deteriorating into ruins in 1987. By 1999, the roof was completely gone. In 2007, the parts of the walls are all that are left of a once busy milling facility.
The mill structure was stone covered over with stucco and was a grist and a saw mill.
The ruins are currently in about the same state/condition as that of the Pollard Mill in Downingtown, Chester Co. Almost to far gone to retore, about the only thing that can be done is to stabalize the ruins to keep it from any further deterioration.