One of the earliest mills in Frederick County, the mill at this mill seat operated from 1739-1957.

The mill is actually a six story structure built into the steep, rocky hilside along the Monocacy River near Buckeystown. It is unknown, to this writer, if the lower two levels are the same footprint as the three immediate, upper stories. They would almost have to be to give the mill stability and to keep it from sluffing off the hillside into the river.

The riverside/back of the mill is contructed of frame material on the four upper stories for two reasons: to cut down opearating noise and to cut down on vibration when the mill was running.

The original, 1739 or earlier, mill was built by Meredith Davis Sr. at or very near this mill seat, who gave it to his son Meredith Jr. Jr. leased the mill to William Mathews to operate. By 1791, it was one of eighty mills operating along the Monocacy River. That number may include some along the Monocacy above the Mason-Dixon Line toward Gettysburg, Pa.

Davis's son, Ignatius, ran the mill after Meredith's death until 1825; then the mill, was sold to Christiann Kemp & Daniel Buckey for the goodly sum of $25,000. Kemp relinquished his portion to Buckey in 1839. Buckey sold both the Kemp & Buckey shares to T.J.Myers, David Bready, & Ezekiel C. Wysham in 1839 & 1842 respectively.

The attachment point for the overshot wheel that used to power the mill. The mill later converted to three turbines, two of which are still possibly in place. Some of the other milling equipment remains inside the building.

By 1846, Bready & Myers had formed the mill into a formidable milling business. In 1851, Teodore C. Delaplaine bought Bready's share. Bready had aquired Myers' holdings at the latter's death earlier that same year. The mill had numerous owners in the last half of the 19th century, then Leo Michael bought the mill with its surrounding structures in 1909. Michael ground livestock feed and cleaned wheat to be used for seed/replanting until he closed the mill in 1957.

The manor house was built in 1839, with an addition in 1851, and a second addition prior to 1874. The constuction & addition dates roughly correspond to the dates the mill changed hands. A separate slave quarters structure of stone with the 2nd & 3rd floors of log is on the property. The last owner known is Ms. Jerome Crewe. The mill was last used, perhaps still is, by J.J. Crewe & Son, Inc., Contractors for a contracting business and storage.

The mill burned in 1855 and again in 1858, both times set by an unhappy slave getting revenge on her master. Even with the fires, the business prospered, with annual production of $81,580.00 with the mill valued at $27,000 in 1860. GPS: 77' 25.06W, 39' 19.46N