|
|
||
North Stafford development project could add new chapter to history of county's last standing gristmill Date published: 5/3/2003
olan Houghton smiles when he recalls childhood horseback rides in the late 1930s from his grandfather's house to an old gristmill along Aquia Creek in North Stafford. The 72-year-old Houghton said he was about 8 or 9 when he would carry sacks of corn on either side of the saddle during the one-mile ride to the mill. Then he would watch as the water wheel turned the gears and the millstones ground the corn meal he would take back to his grandfather's farm. Houghton said the mill was operated at that time by his great-uncle, Herbert Patton. More than 60 years later, the mill of Houghton's boyhood memories still clings to a hillside next to its millrace. And now it appears that the site might hold significance for future generations as well. Developer Craig Johnson of CT Park Inc., is planning 18 homes in Masters Mill subdivision on 54 acres that include the mill, millrace and the remains of a small family cemetery. The land is north of Mount Ararat Baptist Church between the end of Toluca Road and Aquia Creek. The project is on hold for the next two to four weeks while Johnson waits for a report from Cultural Resources Inc., of Fredericksburg that will tell him about the property's historical significance. Local historians say the site represents the last standing mill in Stafford County. And preliminary findings by CRI say that the mill appears eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. "We definitely want to preserve the history of the site," said Johnson. "Both as a developer and as a pretty longtime Stafford resident, I want to preserve the county's history." The mill is a 1-story frame building set upon a stone foundation. It has hand-hewn beams and wooden siding. There are no remains of the water wheel, millstones or gearing mechanism, however. The millrace runs a distance of about 800 feet from Aquia Creek. Portions of it still are reinforced by stones. Records of a mill on the site first appear in the early 1800s. It has gone by several names, including Wiggarton, Wiggenton, Wiggington, Kendall, Masters and Patton.
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
|
|
|||||||||||||
