Bowmansville Mill / Von Nieda's Mill
Lancaster Co. | Pennsylvania | USA
Watersource: Muddy Creek.
Bowmansville Mill / Von Nieda's Mill
East of Blue Ball 1.5 miles on Pa 23, turn left on Pa 625 and go about 5.5 miles almost to Bowmansville. The mill is on the SE corner of Pa 625 & Von Neida Street.
This 40'X 50'3.5 story fieldstone grist, flour, saw mill and cooperage was built, as the third mill on this site after a fire, by Henry Von Nieda in 1850. The saw mill was added in 1860.
The first mill was a log structure/house combination built by Jacob Good in 1740. Peter Good owned the mill from 1751 through 1757; his widow extending his tenure by another year, to 1758. The wooden gearing inside the mill.
Then Christian Good sold the mill in 1772, having had the mill 3 years, to John Good, who kept it until 1790, having built a new (second mill) mill in 1780. John Goods family kept the mill through 1824. Case Roller Mill later used in addition to or instead of grinding burr stones.
Henry Von Nieda, the builder of the last mill, operated it through the 1880's and John A. Von Nieda had the mill in 1899. The mill operated into the 1950's before closing. The rear of the grist mill with the saw mill to the right.
The picture from 2005, shows that a deflection box is pouring water over the metal wheel to operate the saw mill. The stone walls in the foreground of the 1987 picture appear to have given way to a concrete arrangement.
Henry Von Nieda, the builder of the last mill, operated it through the 1880's and John A. Von Nieda had the mill in 1899. The mill operated into the 1950's before closing. A 5000' headrace from a 4' dam supplied the mill, with a 200' tailrace teturning the water to Muddy Creek. About 30 barrels/day of flour were produced in average production from the overshot wheel powering the stones.
The complex was bought by Stewart Kean in 1969. Steven Schaeffer worked on the restoration of that mill in 1983, doing some structural woodwork and replacement of the hickory gear pegs throughout the mill. Kean finished the restoration of the grist mill and saw mill in 2000, died soon after, and his widow gave the mill as an estate gift to the Historical Preservation Trust of Lancaster County with this stipulation: the mill be open 4 day a year for the enjoyment of the community.
The mill sawyer cutting an ash or oak log as a demonsration to some visitors to the mill complex.
About 30 barrels/day of flour were produced in average production from the overshot wheel powering the stones. The Trust has since sold to a private party with the same stipulation. Location: FMA map # 2862 F-11 GPS: 76' 00.56W, 40' 11.22N