Springton Mill / Baldwin Ackland Grist & Saw Mill
Chester Co. | Pennsylvania | USA
Watersource: East Branch Brandywine Creek
Springton Mill / Baldwin Ackland Grist & Saw Mill
Between Glenmoore and Lyndell on Sh 282 just north of the little community of Cornog, just southeast of Devereux Road close to the highway.
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The Springton Mill -- also known as McConaghey or McConchee Mill, Baldwin Ackland Mill, James H. Windrim Grist Mill, and McFall Mill. Robert McConaghey began mill construction in 1769. The mill is shown on an 1860 Atlas of Chester Co. It also appears on W. Nantmeal Township maps of 1830 and 1847, and on the Wallace Township Map of 1873 after the southern portion of W. Nantmeal became Wallace Township.
The 1816 Chester Co. atlas dosen't show any mill at this location. According to Northern Chester County Herald 02/06/1958, it was sold in 1802 to Isaac Wayne Van Leer,whose fortunes collapsed in the depression that followed the War of 1812 and who left for the South in 1816. It is likely that the mill was not running at this time. Following his death in 1820 it was sold for the benefit of his creditors.
The Springton Mill stone building housed the grain milling operation. The large frame building connected to it contained the grain storage area and connected to that in the foreground was a smaller shed. The miller's house was across the street.
Recent photo of renovation process.
The mill is in relatively good condition externally, except for the roof, with some vines growing up the front of the stone portion. It was for sale at the time of the photos, in April 2007, by Weichert Realtors. The price was $325,000 for the biuilding and 8.7 acres. The stone portion had lately stabled 4 horses and the inside was just a shell, and needed complete renovation.
The associated saw mill, which was west of the grist mill along the same long mill race is no longer there. One of the few artifacts we have is a Springton Mills flour barrel stencil, found at the bottom of the internal mill race.
Recent photo of renovation process by owner.
This portion dates back to 1769-1770.
A fire destroyed the interior of the mill in 1869. The stone portion has been expanded toward the east and the grain storage barn and shed were added at some point. Water to power the wheel, and later the turbines, entered the mill at the SW corner near the road. The race is within the stone building envelope.
2016 photo of the end of the spindle/axle of the interior waterwheel.
Another photo of the shaft/axle of the waterwheel and the channel/race thruough the mill.
A smaller millstone, the lands and grooves only on the outer edge of the stone.GPS: 40°04'38.4"N, 75°45'32.4"W