This mill was built by David Hollingsworth in 1833, fed by the waters of a large spring, a tributary to Abrams Creek.

An earlier mill was built by David's great grandfather, Abraham Hollingsworth between 1728 and 1748, the year Abraham died. The earlier cabin was built soon after Abraham settled in his 582 acres.

Side entrance to the Hollingsworth Mill.

Inscription above the side entrance and windows of Hollingsworth Mill: D H 1833, 6/19/2014

The cabin is similar to the early cabin built by Abraham Hollingsworth c. 1828-30. This particular cabin, c. 1780, was rebuilt on the site from near Cork Street in downtown Winchester, probably near Spring Mill on Cork and E. Kent Streets, in 1967 to save it from destruction.

The stone house was begun probably before 1748 by Abraham and finished in 1754 by Isaac, his son. The house and property became known as "Abram's Delight" after the large spring that Abraham stated was a "delight to behold".

Isaac's son, Jonah Hollingsworth, was the next operator of the early mill, operated from the pond created by Jonah and fed by now named Rouss Spring, greatly increasing the flow of water to the mill. Jonah, wife Hannah, and 13 children lived in the stone house about the turn of the ninteenth century; therefore, alterations had to be made: a west wing and dormers on both sides of the house to make attic bedrooms larger.

Jonah's son, David, obtained the mill in 1830 and operated the old mill for two or three years before building the new stone mill in 1833. The mill was turned into a phosphate & fertilizer factory in 1870, when it was sold to Ober & Sons.

The mill next became the creamery of John V. Tavenner & E. R. Thatcher about 1884-85. It and the spring were purchased by the City of Winchester in 1890, the spring becoming the cities main water resource until 1956. A vintage photo, date unknown, displayed on the interpretive signage at Abram's Delight.

Some actual millstone from the milling era. There are also some lying about in the grass.

The spring became known as Rouss Spring in 1890, when the city took over the mill as a pump station for the water supply source of Abrams Delight Spring to supply water to the population of Winchester.

As luck may have it, the mill never spent any length of time idle or abandoned, so when it was renovated in 1987 to become the city's visitor center, it was still in fairly good condition.

Twenty years later, its second floor also became the headquarters for the combined Winchester/Frederick County Historical Society. The first floor houses current exhibits sponsored by the Hist. Soc. and a gift shop.