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Walking Tour of Muddy Creek Forks Roller Mill
A series of flour mills have operated on this site since at least 1759. It is not clear whether any part of the original mill remains in the current structure, however, the fieldstone foundation with wooden bean lintels is consistent with 18th century practice. The mill was rebuilt in 1847 by James Maffet shortly after he purchased Muddy Creek Forks and again by A. M Grove in 1890. The current building was clearly built in two sections, the third floor and loft having been added atop an earlier two story structure. Probably the first two floors date from 1847 and the third floor from the 1890 rebuilding. The mill was identified by a large painted sign extending the full width of the building on the west wall between the first and second floors.
In the early years of this century the mill was powered by a water turbine and had 4 sets of rollers as well as 2 four foot mill stones. Regular flour was ground on the rollers, bagged in hundred pound cloth sacks, and shipped out in full boxcar loads. The mill was particularly known, however, for its buckwheat flour. This was ground on a stone burr, packaged in flour bags of tough paper, and shipped to Baltimore in the baggage car on the passenger trains. In 1926 the turbine was replaced by a wide overshot wheel built by the Fitz Waterwheel Company of Hanover. This wheel, which is entirely contained under the building, provided all of the power for the mill and grain elevator and remained in use until the end of milling in 1951. For 40 years the miller for A. M. Grove and his heirs was Frank Wolf. When Muddy Creek Forks was sold to James Keiser in 1947, the rollers were scrapped and only a single stone was used in the last few years of the the mill's operation. |
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