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Visiting the 18th Century

During a recent visit to Washington Crossing Pennslyvania, I had the privilege of touring an 18th-century grist mill. The Thompson-Neely Grist Mill historic restoration is currently ongoing thanks to Glenn Blakely and the Washington Crossing Historic Park. Mr. Blakely is a local businessman who has financially supported and volunteered countless hours working on the restorations. Today, the Mill is a functioning engineering marvel.

Revolutionary War Era Sites

Traveling is my passion, and visiting historical sites is my favorite vacation activity. Researching the history of my destination is part of my travel planning. Standing on the bank of the Delaware River, where General Washington led the crossing, is inspiring.

There are monuments, state parks, federal parks, and natural wonders where history occurred all over the USA. Clubs are available for enthusiasts endeavoring to visit all four hundred national parks. Families can purchase the book – Passport to Your National Parks and obtain a stamp to commemorate their visit, within each park.

Every State hosts websites filled with information of not-to-be-missed places to visit and ways to keep track. A quest to visit every park, historic site and national monument is an especially fun activity for families. When history comes alive, students are more engaged.

21st Century History

The 21st-century is only twenty years old. We are experiencing a pandemic that has impacted every person on the planet. It feels like a hundred years have has passed in two months. Despite how far the world has come, no advanced technology could stop a deadly virus.

Virtual Visits While Travel is Not Safe

Writing about travel when we cannot leave home, does not feel right. Researching a historic site, learning how it operated, and writing about a past visit during our stay-at-home order is my contribution to distance learning resources.

Independent Visits

Years ago, I made a promise to myself to do whatever it takes to travel at least once a year without my children. Spending a long weekend alone or with friends keeps me going when the going gets tough.

Visiting historic sites isn’t on my children’s lists of preferred activities. I incorporate my love of history despite their eye rolls and griping then reward their tolerance with their favorite activities to make our vacations work for all of us. It’s all about strategic placement on our itinerary.

When I travel teen-free to my childhood stomping grounds to visit old friends, I pack in stops to all the sites I love. It is especially fun when my friend Jane happens to be married to a restoration expert. Visiting one of his projects is like visiting Buckingham Palace, and Harry is your tour guide.

Inside Scoop

It was a privilege touring a historic site with Dana Osterman. He is one of the craftsmen responsible for the restoration of the Thompson-Neely Grist Mill in Solebury, Pennsylvania. I could have stayed hours longer than we did. Every single moving part of a grist mill is an engineering marvel of technology invented over two-hundred years ago.

Photo Tour of the Mill

The Thompson-Neely Grist Mill is an engineering achievement from the 18th-century. Long before the invention of electricity, steel and stones were molded and carved into huge parts that moved together with precision to grind grain into flour or meal.

The world is fortunate that there are experts who can restore machines from the past. Visiting these historic sites helps us appreciate the ease of 21st-century living due to technology.

Thompson-Neely Grist Mill History

The Thompson-Neely home and farmstead are in the heart of historic Solebury, Pennslyvania. The existing Mill (there have been three) is across the street from the farm and has a fascinating history.

1740-1910

In 1740 John Simpson purchased the land where the farm stands today. Simpson built the first Mill downstream from the farm. The Mill originally functioned as a grist and sawmill.

When Simpson died, ownership passed to journeyman, Robert Thompson. The flour market thrived due to the number of farmers in the area growing wheat, corn, rye, and buckwheat. Historians believe this Mill provided grain to General Washington’s troops.

Thompson passed his knowledge of the milling business to his son-in-law William Neely. Neely ran the Mill successfully for forty years.

When the Delaware Canal opened, it flowed through Neely’s property. The creek that powered the water wheel was affected by the Canal. The Mill shut down. When the family received compensation for damages, they rebuilt the Mill upstream.

In August 1873, the Mill burnt down. The family rebuilt the third Mill in the same location as the second, and it reopened in 1875. The design was identical to the second Mill to ensure that salvaged equipment fit. In 1910 the State of Pennsylvania purchased the Mill and shut it down. The Mill remained shuttered for fifty years.

Turbines Replaced Water Wheels

After the fire in 1870, a turbine was installed in the Mill. The turbine was powered by water that was supplied by a large iron pipe.  Geared shafts connected to the grindstones and other Mill equipment.  A hand-turned wheel controlled the speed of the geared shafts and was attached to a gate on the turbine.  The turbine required thousands of gallons of water per minute to operate. It was much smaller and easier to control than the water wheel.

Historic Restorations are a Step Back in Time

During the seventies, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission researched how to restore the Mill. The building itself weathered the shut-down, but the water wheel rotted. The Commission removed the turbine and decorative wheel installed on the outside of the Mill during the previous restoration. A new wheel was installed. The grinding stones were also damaged. Twenty years later, the Mill shut down.

In 2016, a group from Washington Crossing Historic Park, Glenn Blakely, Dana Osterman, and other volunteers began the current restoration. The miller found the building interior precisely as he left it, but the water wheel was once again, beyond repair. The new water wheel was built by hand as it would have been in the 18th-century and is sixteen feet tall.  Six hundred gallons of water per minute is required to turn the wheel.

The Thompson-Neely Grist Mill reopened for tours and school field trips in 2018. Live demonstrations of the milling process are available. The milling operation, tools, and grain supplies are period-accurate.

How a Grist Mill Functions

Oliver Evans invented and received one of the first US patents for the Grist Mill in 1795. Grist mills operated on water power. Grist Mills significantly reduced the amount of labor required to mill grains. Turbines began powering some mills in the 19th-century.

Grain was brought to the Mill and dumped into a hopper. The grain flowed through a wooden chute, lifted by an elevator to the top floor. The grain then passed through a mesh sifter to separate the grain from the rest of the plant and earthen debris.

The grain then went through another chute to storage bins. When the miller was ready to grind, the grain dropped into another hopper above the millstones.

The millstones weigh thousands of pounds. There are different millstones for different jobs depending on the fineness of the grind. Wheat was ground extremely fine to make flour, and corn was more course for cornmeal.

The bedstone is mounted and does not move. A running stone spins above the bedstone. Millstones do not touch. The stones shear the grain.

Ground cornmeal was sent by elevator up to the attic to a hopper to dry. Building waterproof shipping barrels was an integral function of the milling business. Before the invention of the grist mill, milling flour took seven to eight people to complete the process by hand. A miller could handle the operation of a grist mill with only one or two employees.

Historic Restoration Sites are Worth a Visit

Beautiful Bucks County Pennsylvania lies along the Delaware River. Historical monuments, covered bridges, farmstands, and charming inns are waiting for visitors to return. Be sure to stop by the Thompson-Neely Grist Mill historic restoration site and farmstead. The Mill is part of the Washington Crossing Historic Park. Information and maps are available in the Visitor’s Center. History comes to life when children experience the sites in person. The Thompson-Neely Grist Mill is a gem and not to be missed.

 

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Visiting Revolutionary War Area Sites in PA and NJ

For more information about the Mill, please contact:

Glenn Blakely: Isaac Newton’s – Fun Food and Drink

Dana Osterman:  Sign Smith at Washington Crossing Forge

signsmithwcf@gmail.com

Washington Crossing Historic Park

Friends of Washington Crossing Historic Park