Wade's Mill / Kennedy's Mill
Rockbridge Co. | Virginia | USA
Watersource: Otts Creek.
Wade's Mill / Kennedy's Mill
About 30-35 miles south of Staunton, Va. on Va 252 to junction left with Sh 606. Go 1 mile on Sh 606, turning left on Sh 816/Kennedy-Wade Mill Loop. The mill is along the 1/3 mile loop by Otts Creek.
A mill built in or about 1750 by Scotch-Irish settler, Joseph Kennedy. The 35'X 45' 2 story stone with 1.5 story frame mill is powered by a 21' overshot wheel. The mill is on the National Register of Historic Places and is still grinding quality flours today. The original name of the creek was Capt. Joseph Kennedy's Mill Creek.
The mill was bought by James F. Wade in 1882 after being operated by the Kennedy familty for over 100 years. Since then, 5 generations of Wades have owned & operated the mill.
The interior workings are much the same as when James Wade bought the mill. The mill is one of the few in the area still producing a variety of flours.
Located at 55 Kennedy-Wade Mill Loop west of Raphine, Virginia; the mill, operated by SPOOM members Charlie and Susan Wade in 1989, produces "Flavo" products for the Osceola Mill Country Inn, also near Raphine.
Check out the web address above for the mill. Admission to the mill is free. The mill is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
*Update: Kennedy-Wade's Mill as it appeared in the 1970's when Charlie Wade and his family owned and operated the mill. Charlie would travel for days delivering flour to cities in Virginia. The more children they had the more important it became for him to stay at home and help raise the family. So they decided to sell the mill. Jim and Georgie Young have owned the mill since 1991. They did an extensive restoration of the mill especially on the exterior. Jim was from Washington, D.C. area. Ted Hazen 06/23/2009*