Wetzel's Mill
Montgomery Co. | Pennsylvania | USA
Watersource: Unami Creek.
Wetzel's Mill
In Sumneytown on Pa 63, veer right onto Geryville Pike for 0.25 miles, then right on Swamp Creek Rd. just after passing the old stone Sumneytown Mill. Take Swamp Cr. Rd. for 0.5 miles to junction with Magazine Rd. on left. Stay right on Swamp Creek Rd. The mill is on the just by the stone arch bridge over Unami Cr.
A one time linseed oil mill, saw mill and grist mill located east of Sumneytown along Unami Creek at Swamp Creek Road stone arch bridge over Unami Creek.
The creek furnished the power to turn the waterwheel. At thid time in 1981, it was partly frozen over, a condition not comfortable with millers and their mill wheels.
In 1848 the structure was a linseed oil mill operated by a man named Heebner.
The three arched stone bridge takes Swamp Creek road over the Umani Creek at the mill. The bridge bridge was built in 1892, is 100.1' in length, and has a deck width of 15.4'. The longest arch span is 24.9'. About 600 vehicles traverse it daily.
The mill dam, just upstream from the arch bridge, appears to have a section partially washed out.
It was also operated as an ice house about in the early 1900's. John Wetzel used the mill as a saw mill, making lath for baled hay.
His son, Alvin Wetzel, was the last to operate the mill, sometime in the early 1900's. GPS: 40' 20.06N, 75' 27.00W