Christian Mill
Columbia Co. | Pennsylvania | USA
Watersource: Little Fishing Creek.
Christian Mill
North of Millville, Iola, & Sereno on Sh 42. From Sereno, go about 2 miles north on Sh 42, turn right on T 683 for about 3 miles, right on Logging Rd 19061, then right on Logging Rd 4039, then right on Ardens Mill Road/T 685. Located about 150'-200' from the Jud Christian (Christie) Covered Bridge over Little Fishing Creek.
Medium sized 1.5 story frame,weathered-sided mill on a partial stone foundation currently undergoing some repair work. Ask permission for pictures. This might make the mill a saw mill, which could be possible considering all the open space on the lower level.
The mill in 2009, non-operational, but wih much eqiupment inside yet. The outlet race is visible on the right side as it used to empty back into Little Fishing Creek.
A peaceful, scerene setting next to the Jud Christian Covered Bridge.
The Queenpost Truss covered bridge, 56' long x 13' wide, was built in 1876 by William L. Manning. GPS for bridge & mill: Lat. 41 19.60N & Long. 7647.28W. The bridge, named for a nearby farmer and lumberman, was built for the modest sum of $239.00. The Queen Post truss structure is owned by Columbia County.
A line shaft of sorts with a steel pully to engage with the drive belt and attached wooden flywheel mechanism to keep the centripetal radiating inward towards the shaft, to keep the shaft turning at a steading rate. Notice the plastic forms for concreting the post footings.
Another centripetal weight, this time on the shaft going up to turn the millstone set.
Update: Champion Corn and Cob Crusher and Grinding Mill. The mill's grinding process works on the screw or spiral principle similar to an old fashioned plaster or bark mill. This mill was manufactured by the R. Sinclair, Jr. & Company, Baltimore, Maryland. Ted R. Hazen Sept, 2010*
A hopper on the second floor/attic. The shaft turned the short wooden piece, to uniformly feed corn cobs into the chute. See the photos above.
The mechanism under the attic floor. The flywheel was turned by possibly a belt off the main power source.
Another angle shows the chute from the attic hopper as it feeds the hopper to the run of stones on the first floor for grinding the grain.
The millstone crane, used to pick up the upper stone and lay it aside, so thast both stones could be sharpwned, the lands and grooves worked on with sharpening tools.
Some parts of the mill's weighing scale on the board and weights on the lower left floor. The cast iron machine holding the scale parts is unknown; but, it was powered by a belt.
A primitive, homemade handtruck, used to cart grain an feed sacks to different places in the mill. This card coul probably hold about 4-5 bags of 100 lbs. each.
the workings of the sack hoist in the attic. The sack hoist hood was attached to the mill at the opposite gable end of what is shown in the photo.
The hoist hood remnants on the gable peak at the high, ground side of the mill.
The same picture angle as the first photo. This photo in sunshine instead of fog and a footbridge instead of the wooden 2 x 12's from the 2007 photo. The current owner, Mr. Cole, is related to the Coles that historically had mills in the nearby area of Columbia Co.