Neff's Mill / Turley Roller Mill
Rockingham Co. | Virginia | USA
Watersource: Turley Creek.
Neff's Mill / Turley Roller Mill
Use exit 257 off of I-81, take Sh 259 northwest through Broadway, Va. for about 13 miles to the small community of Cootes Store. Turn left on Sr 613 at Cootes Store, go about 2.5 miles. The mill is just at the southern edge of Turleytown at the bridge over Brock Creek (Turley Run).
View Larger Map
The Turley Roller Mill/Neff's Mill was built about 1880. Perhaps the builder, but most certainly onr of the earliestr owner/operaters was Newton A. Neff.
Just a little way south of Turley Roller Mill is the site of and some foundation remains (as of 1977) of John Lincoln's large grist mill, tannnery and bark mill.
Neff's Mill ground wheat to flour and corn to cornmeal. Custom grinding was also done; that is, grinding in a batch so that the exact wheat or corn from a customer was the same that was returned to him as the finished product.
GPS: 38D 36.74'N, 78D 52.32'W ele 1,266'/386 meters Broadway Quadrangle
The mill ceased operations around 1940, but was still in fair condition in 1977 with equipment intact. Newton's son son Blair worked with him in the flour mill/saw mill operation. The saw mill operations continued beyond the 1940's. Saw mill operations went from water power, to steam, gasoline and finally electricity in the mid 1940's. Neff's Lumber Mill in nearby Broadway is still in operation.