Anderson's Mill / Irwinton Mill
Franklin Co. | Pennsylvania | USA
Watersource: West Branch Conococheague Creek.
Anderson's Mill / Irwinton Mill
From Greencastle, take Pa 16 west for about 8 miles to Anderson Road. Turn left and go about 0.9 miles to the mill on the left.
The old grist mill is located at 9717 Anderson Road along-side the West Branch of the Conococheague Creek. The Irwinton Homestead is near the mill as are the "Hays Fording" Double Arch Stone Bridge and the Witherspoons "Red" Covered Bridge.
The 2.5 story frame mill fits a foot-print of 40'X 60'. The limestone foundation constitutes the basement, or technically the first floor for a total of 3.5 stories.
The sign reads: Feeds-Grains-Groceries; tours given at reasonable rates; souvenirs available; Chester A. Anderson, Proprietor.
Archibald Irwin Sr. built the original mill in c. 1760. The mill burned and was rebuilt on the same foundation in 1856. The mill operated into 1973, with Charles Anderson at the helm.
An old hand crank gasoline pump and a water turbine placed on top of a sectional, banded millstone.
The cornerstone of the right front limestone foundation depicts the date of the rebuild as 1856.
The dam on the West Br. of the Conococheague Creek behind the mill. William and Dorothy Bowers were the last owners of the Homestead, which was sold in 1997 after the Bowers deceased. GPS: 77' 50.93W, 39' 47.4N
The small wooden shed on the side of the mill is probably the mill office. The daughter of Archibald Irwin Jr., Jane, married William Henry Harrison Jr. and became the mistress of the White House in 1841 for a short time. Elizabeth, another daughter of Archibald Jr., married Benjamin Harrison's father, John Scott Harrison, and gave birth to the twenty-third President. A very rich background for this mill.