The mill, situated on land once belonging to 'The Father of Our Country' George Washington, was built about 1809 by William Sheppard.

This photo shows, more or less, the rear of the mill. Philip Carper paid tax on flour produced at the mill in 1813 after having purchased the mill in 1811.

This is the opposite end, the business end, of the mill. The area where farmers would load and unload their wagons. A progression of merchant millers ran the mill from 1813 through the 1930's. Merchant millers did some local grinding, but most of the grain was purchased from farmers and the flour produced shipped to distant markets.

A little closer view of the overshot wheel. John Powell owned the mill during the Civil War; but, times were hard and he lost it through bankrupcy procedures in 1872.

Millstone collection.

This flume, just to the right of image #3, two pictures above, supplied the water from Colvin Run to empty onto the overshot wheel. The Millard family owned and operated the mill from 1883-1934, Addison Millard, then his widow Emma, and finally his sons, Sam and Alfred Millard.

The water is deposited onto the top of the overshot wheel, filling the buckets, the wheel rotating away from the flumed water supply brings more buckets to be filled as the wheel rotates, in turn rotating the large bull wheel inside the mill, also connected to the wheel axle.

Colvin Run Mill on a clear, snowy day.

Two runs of stones on the second floor of the mill. Sam & Alfred modernized the mill, rebuilding the mill pond, the mill raceand the machinery in general. It is modeled after the Oliver Evans automated milling system.

Another run of stones in its enclosed wooden housing. The mill closed in the mid 1930's, when Alfred died and Sam retired from milling.

A barrel tamper used when packing flour into barrels to enable capacity for the full 196 pounds of flour to fit into the barrel.

This is the netherstone, the lower stone, which was stationary. The upper stone turned as it sat lightly upon this stone, to grind grain to flour between the stones.

A small portable cleaner.

Internal gearing of the large wooden wheel/bull wheel with wooden intermeshing cogs/gears. These gears and cogs transfer power to equipment in other parts of the mill.

A rolling screen manufactured by August Wolf & Co. Works, Chambersburg, Pa.

The mill store on the Colvin Run Mill grounds. Has been moved to a different location on the property from the time it was active during the milling years.

The outdoor hearth of the Blacksmith shop at Colvin Run. No doubt there is another hearth inside the structure.

The miller's house. The mill sat idle for many years, finally being aquired by the Fairfax County Park Authority in 1965. The mill site has been restored and is open to the public since 1972. The hours are: weekdays 11-4 (closed Teusdays) & weekends 11-4.