Mill Details

Ruins: Stoever Mills / Freeport Mills

Lebanon Co. | Pennsylvania | USA
Known Dates: flour mill 1840, grist mill 1848
Township: Bethel Twp.
Watersource: Little Swatara Creek.

Location / Directions

Ruins: Stoever Mills / Freeport Mills

Four miles north of Lebanon City on Pa 343, turn right on Golf Road, go 0.5 miles to the bridge over the Little Swatara Creek. the stone mill ruins are by the bridge.

Verse for Thought
"The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; he shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. he shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies."
({Isaiah 42:13 NKJV})
Ruins:  Stoever Mills / Freeport Mills
Robert T. Kinsey 03/10/2006

The remains of Stoever's Grist Mill with the miller's house in the background. The mill was torn down in either 2003 and/or 2004.

Ruins:  Stoever Mills / Freeport Mills
Robert T. Kinsey 03/10/2006

There was a grist mill and saw mill built around 1848 by Jacob Stoever. A 3.5 story brick flour mill of Oliver Evans design was built in 1840. It was powered by an undershot wheel, then the tailrace passed the water on to the grist milland saw mill, also using an undershot wheel.

Ruins:  Stoever Mills / Freeport Mills
Robert T. Kinsey 03/10/2006

The flour mill was torn down in the mid to late 1980's. A covered bridge nearby also dissappeared about the same time frame. The owner of the nextdoor golf course has some bricks with the name Stoever's Mill on them.

Ruins:  Stoever Mills / Freeport Mills
Robert T. Kinsey o3/10/2006

The bricks from the grist mill were used in two building projects that wanted bricks that were not uniform. The bricks were made on site by hand using kilns built there for that very purpose. The walls were 6 bricks thick, four layers of soft brick, more than likely sandwiched between two layers of hard bricks. For laying the bricks, a "hot lime" method was used.

 
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