McKinstry's Mills / Zumbrun's Mill
Carroll Co. | Maryland | USA
Watersource: Sam's Creek.
McKinstry's Mills / Zumbrun's Mill
Take E. Locust St./Ladiesburg Road east from S. Main St./Sr 75 in Union Bridge. Angle right onto Quaker Hill Road, keep right at the junction with Priestland Road & Marble Quarry Road, and follow Marble Quarry Road to McKinstry Mill Road. Go straight/right on McKinstry Mill Road. The mill is on the right, on McKinstry Mill Road, just past the junction with Sams Creek Road on the left.
The McKinstry's Mills Historic District is significant as a well-preserved example of a small 19th century hamlet that developed around a grist mill. The McKinstry's Mills Historic District comprises the entirety of the settlement of McKinstry's Mills, located on Sam's Creek, the border between Carroll and Frederick Counties, Maryland. *Maryland Historic Trust*
The main king gear, found on the opposite end of the waterwheel axle. The mill was likely powered first by a waterwheel, then converted to a turbine which would have been linked to this large king gear. The 26-acre hamlet consists of six separate properties that were owned and developed in the 19th century by the McKinstry family, local millers. The focus of the settlement is the grist mill, a 3 1/2-story, five-bay by three-bay frame building with a rubble stone lower story, constructed in 1844 to replace an earlier mill. *Maryland Historic Trust*
The front of the mill with McKinstry's Mill Bridge in the background over Sam's Creek on pearre Road. McKinstry mill Road branches to the left just before the bridge.
Another view of the mill, from the angle of photo number 10. The arched forebay of of the mill enabled wagons to drive under and load & unload out of the weather.
The plank walkway into the mill, sort of a mini barnbridge. The white stone in the foundation, behind the small maple sapling, is a marble plaque with the word: Built By S. McKinstry 1844.
About 30' east of the mill is an earthen dam, the center of which is washed out. A large diameter steel penstock extends from the dam to the turbine at the back of the mill.
The pennstock from the dam to the right comes behind the mill and directs water through the distribution box into the turbine pit inside thew back mill foundation.
The terminal of the penstock/distribution box supplying part of Sam's Creek flow to the turbines. The arch is the outlet for the water flow after the turbine has been powered.
The McKinstry's Mill Bridge is a Warren Poney Truss steel bridge built in 1908 on Pearre Road over Sam's Creek. The four paneled bridge has verticals extending from the top chord only with a wooden deck- built by the York Bridge Co. A one lane bridge with a 37,000 lb. limit for combined rigs, a 29,000 lb. limit for single vehicles: maintained by the county.
Photo of unknown origin and unknown date, donated to the Maryland Historic Trust by Mike Trostel. Maryland Historic Trust (late 1880's - very early 1900's)
Weathered, cracked sign on the façade reads: W.R. Zumbrun - manufacturer of cracked corn, hominy, and corn meal. The mills footprint is 64.5X 40.5.
An old turbine anchored by some of the rocks that broke out of the milldam. The original water-powered log grist mill was built in 1794-97 by George Pusey: this site became the same millseat for McKinstrys Mill later. Evan McKinstry came to Maryland from Dolestown, Bucks County, Penna. In 1814, having bought George Puseys Mill. Evans son Samuel built a new mill and dam in 1844 on Sams Creek, a tributary of Little Pipe Creek and the Monacacy River.