The first mill, of logs, was built by Christian & Elizabeth Mayer Eby in about 1750. His father and family had arrived from the Palatinate province of France in 1717, having lived prior to that in Canton Zurich, Switzerland. He built the miller's house in 1754 across the road from the present mill.

A new log grist mill was built in 1796 by Johannes & Maria Witwer Eby, which passed to Elias & Elizabeth Erb Eby. This mill burned in 1850 and was not rebuilt because it was uninsured. A cousin, Christian Eby married to Elizabeth Witwer Kreider, built the present mill in 1850 on the opposite side of the road from the first two mills, this time in Warwick Township, of native limestone 3.5 stories high and measuring 54'X 96'. The size is more like 50'X 70' in actuallity. The site was a good one as Hammer Creek falls about 15'/mile in this area.

In 1866, the mill was owned byu Henry Hess, Samuel Hess in 1871, Christian Risser in 1874, John Snavely in 1875,David H. Snavely in 1890,and B. B. Snavely in 1906. An occurrence was recorded in 1889, when the mill became so overloaded with grain that the third floor dropped down through the rest of the floors. The walls were reinforced and the mill continued business after the grain was cleaned out of the Hammer Creek spillway (not what a "spillway" is for). Various grain bin and storage silos were added from 1913 through 1949.

Diesel power has replaced steam as an auxillary power source when water flows are low. B. B. Snavely continued to own and operate the mill through 1936, then, his son L. Miles Snavely operated it and owned it by 1941. In the 1940's Eshleman & Larro Feeds were sold and much custom grinding & Chopping were done. Miles' sons, Gerald & Brian Snavely and Lloyd E. Weidman were operating the mill in the 1960's.

The wheat was preferred to be harvested in a not so hardened, ripened condition, because more gluten was available from grain not completley dry and over-ripe. The mill is still operating as a large merchant mill enterprise. It has changed greatly from 1987 to 2004, with much more tecnology and increased productivity. The 4200' headrace from the 8' dam upstream, with 2 turbines and 1 overshot wheel succeeded in producing 85 barrels/day of flour in the mid 1850's. Flour, grist, corn meal and a cooperage were main uses of the mill. *Lcation: Franklin Metro Atlas of Lancaster County map# 2858 C-10* Latitude: 40 11' 55" Logitude: -76 17' 29".