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Potash is a chemical substance that was used in making fertilizer, glass, soap, gunpowder and dyeing fabrics. In the 18th century, the primary source of potash was the ash from native hardwood trees. The basic chemical compound potassium carbonate was extracted by leaching the ashes in big iron pots to dissolve out the soluble components. Evaporation of the solution through percolation resulted in the production of potash. An article published in the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1750 noted that potash was "a Commodity that no Nation hardly can be well without." So important was potash in early America, the very first US patent was issued in 1790 to Philadelphian Samuel Hopkins for improving the process and equipment for making it.

Lye is leached out of wood ashes with water and empties into the iron kettle.

The grey crust that forms on the sides of the kettle as the lye water is boiled is potash. 

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An important part of Newlin Grist Mill's approach to history is that the staff and volunteers at the site learn about historical processes by actually doing them and documenting the experiences. This comes from the field of "experimental archaeology." One of the projects that has been done onsite is the making of potash.

Potash Kiln

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Delaware County Heritage Trail 

In the winter 1682/83, Nicholas Newlin and his family landed in Upland (adjacent to Chester, PA), newly arrived from Ireland and seeking religious and economic opportunities. The family settled in Concord Township and began building a new life for themselves. In 1704, Nicholas’ son Nathaniel constructed a grist mill now known as the Newlin Grist Mill. The mill served its community as a source for grinding grains and strengthened the economy by exporting products to international markets around the world.Until 1941, the mill continued to grind grains and sell flour products under several different owners (Newlin, Trimble, Sharpless, and Hill). Each generation of owner also updated machinery and expanded the building to meet the needs of the time. These changes can be seen in the construction and landscape of the Newlin Grist Mill.In the 1930s, a ninth-generation descendent of Nicholas Newlin visited the mill looking for his family’s origins and became captivated by its character and traditions. E. Mortimer and Elizabeth Newlin purchased the mill in 1956 and immediately began restoring the building and equipment. Mr. and Mrs. Newlin established the Nicholas Newlin Foundation in 1960 giving it a mission that remains relevant today:The purpose of the Nicholas Newlin Foundation is to preserve its land and its historic buildings for the pleasure and education of the public.In an area of urban growth, the Foundation maintains open land as a refuge for plants, animals, and birds, and for the people who come to enjoy them. In an era of digital technology, it offers visitors insights into the vanished life of the rural eighteenth century. This two-fold objective of environmental and historical concerns is combined in a single theme wherever possible. ﻿Following the ideals of its founder, E. Mortimer Newlin, the Foundation will strive to enhance its service to the public, while securing its future by managing its finances wisely.For more than sixty years, the Nicholas Newlin Foundation has served its community through the preservation of history and open space, conservation of plants, animals, and waterways, and as a place for both education and recreation. Today, the Nicholas Newlin Foundation continues to maintain the Newlin Grist Mill and Park along with its twelve historic structures and over eight miles of hiking trails. Through a distinct balance of dedication to tradition and acceptance of innovation, the Newlin Grist Mill provides opportunities to connect with history and nature.

The Newlin Grist Mill and the surrounding 160-acre park is a place for exploration of both history and the environment. The site features a working grist mill, offers public history and nature programs, and includes over eight miles of walking and hiking trails. Whether you are involved in preservation, education, outdoor recreation, or just relaxing, there is something for you.

Nathaniel Newlin (Nicholas’s son) and his wife Mary built the Grist Mill in 1704. In the beginning, it ran as a custom mill, grinding grain into meal or flour on demand for individual farmers in the area. The miller would take a portion of the grain as his payment—this was called the toll. Toll amount varied widely by time and place, but a typical amount would have been 1/16 to 1/32 of the total. The toll could also be paid in cash or barter. Wheat, corn, rye, barley, oats, and maslin (a mixture of wheat and rye) would have been ground in the mill. In 1739, the Newlins added a large 2-story stone addition to the mill. This addition would have at least doubled the grinding capacity of the mill. At the same time, they hired a professional miller to handle the increased business and built a stone house close to the mill to attract a miller. At this point, the mill was expanding to operate as a merchant mill, where the miller would buy the grain from farmers and sell the flour commercially. Usually, even merchant mills were required to continue some custom milling. The changes in 1739 reflect the increased production of the area’s farms, as well as the expanding regional and global markets for flour.  By the middle of the 18th century, the Newlin family were prosperous mill owners, hiring a miller to run the mill on a day-to-day basis but still retaining control over operations. By the 1770s, they had leased out the Grist Mill to the Trimble family and had stepped away from its management. In 1817, the mill was purchased by William Trimble. It was rented and/or owned by the Sharpless family for a time before the Hill family purchased it in 1860. The third floor (frame addition with red wooden siding) was added to accommodate later milling equipment during the 19th century. The cupola on top of the roof was likely added around the turn of the 20th century for the same reason. The Newlin Grist Mill ceased operations as a commercial mill in 1941. E. Mortimer Newlin, a ninth-generation descendant of Nicholas Newlin, purchased the mill and began the process of restoring it to its colonial configuration in 1956. Four years later, Newlin Grist Mill opened to the public, and Mortimer Newlin created the Nicholas Newlin Foundation to support the site. Over the next few decades, Mortimer continued to purchase land for the park. Today, Newlin Grist Mill is a 160-acre park that is owned and operated by the non-profit Nicholas Newlin Foundation.

The Grist Mill was built by Nathaniel Newlin (son of Nicolas) and his wife Mary in 1704. It was owned by the Newlin family until the early 19th century, when it was sold to the Trimble family. It would go on to pass to the Sharpless and Hill families until a ninth-generation descendant of Nicolas Newlin, E. Mortimer Newlin, purchased it in the mid-20th century and restored the mill to represent the site's colonial history.

Grist Mill

The Newlin family was operating a general store on the property before 1730. While the exact date of the extant building's construction is unclear, the July 28, 1729 probate inventory for Nathaniel Newlin includes a long list of items under the heading, "Ye Goods," separate from his household possessions. The inventory of the store included cooking implements, glassware, tools, spices, and ready-made clothing items like hats and handkerchiefs. The majority of the goods stocked in the store were various types of fabric, as well as cloth tape, thread, needles, buttons, and other sewing items. By 1772, the Trimble family operated the store. John Trimble's probate inventory from July 6th of that year has a section of "Shop Goods to wit." By that time, the store had expanded its offerings to include books, a wider selection of household goods and tools, as well as a larger variety of luxury ingredients like coffee, chocolate, tea, and sugar. The building continued to be used as a store in the 19th century and was used as a residence until 1990. Today, the H. Dabbs Woodfin Research Archive is housed in the former Newlin store. The Archive was dedicated in 2008 for the purpose of creating a repository for materials related to the Newlin Grist Mill, the history of the Nicholas Newlin Foundation, families associated with the grist mill (Newlin, Sharpless, Trimble, and Hill), and information related to the 29 land parcels that make up the Foundation’s property. In addition to the materials in the Woodfin Archive, Newlin Grist Mill is home to the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills (SPOOM) archives. This collection includes materials related to mills and milling, SPOOM organizational materials, and publications. Of significant interest is the organization’s mill files organized by state and its photograph and slide collection.

In the first half of the 18th century, the Newlins built a general store next to the mill. The store was constructed over the top of the mill’s tailrace, which was enclosed by an arched masonry tunnel. For many years, it served as a store and residence. It now houses the archives and library of the Nicholas Newlin Foundation and the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills (SPOOM).

Bank Barn

While many of the houses, mills, and other structures built in the 18th century Mid-Atlantic region were constructed primarily out of stone, bricks were often utilized for the chimneys and hearths. In 2012 and 2013, NGM partnered with New Castle Historical Society (NCHS) to reproduce bricks for a hearth restoration. While restoring a chimney in the Historic Amstel House, a fragment of a special hearth brick was discovered. NCHS decided to manufacture replacement bricks for the hearth restoration and approached NGM. The planning team examined sources on brick making tools and techniques and spoke with individuals involved in brick making projects. Since then, NGM has continued to offer demonstrations of brickmaking for special events and educational programs.

An important part of Newlin Grist Mill's approach to history is that the staff and volunteers at the site learn about historical processes by actually doing them and documenting the experiences. This comes from the field of "experimental archaeology." One of the projects that has been done onsite is traditional brickmaking.

Brickmaking Area

The original portion of the Miller's House was built in 1739, consisting of two stories made of field stone. It follows the English style of vernacular architecture of the period, with a central door and a chimney on each gable end. The interior of the house was laid out in the "hall-and-parlor" fashion, with the front door opening directly into the main room, the "hall." A partition separates the "parlor." A set of narrow winder stairs in the corner of the hall leads upstairs to two bedchambers. Each of the four rooms includes a fireplace. The house had both a cellar and an attic, as well. This would have been a comfortable home and a perk of taking a job as the miller in what was, at the time, an area that still had Black bears roaming the woods. Unfortunately, there are no surviving records that indicate who the early occupants of the Miller's House were. A third story was added on to the original portion of the house later, and a two-story L was added on to the back of the house in the 1860s. Another 2-story addition was built on to the rear of the 1860s addition in the 1960s, adding a modern kitchen and bathroom to the house. When the house was being restored to its original appearance, the third floor was removed from the front portion of the house.

When the Newlin Grist Mill was expanded to a merchant mill in 1739, a 2-story stone house was also built nearby to attract a miller. This would have allowed the miller and his family to live onsite and oversee operations. It is thought that by this time, the members of the Newlin family were no longer involved in the day-to-day of the mill and had hired a master miller to run what was now a large merchant mill.

Miller's House

William Trimble came to Pennsylvania from Ireland in 1719 and had settled in Concord Township by 1729. It is thought that he may have worked for the Newlins at the Grist Mill. He became a member of the Concord Friends Meeting and married Ann Palmer in 1734. In 1737, William purchased 50 acres adjoining the Newlin's property. The first section of the house was built on it in 1739. Built into the hill, it had a walk-out basement kitchen and pantry on the lower level, with two rooms on the upper level for living and sleeping quarters. A third floor was added to this section in 1742. Around 1750 an addition was put on the west end of the house. William also purchased a property in West Whiteland Township by the mid-1750s and lived there at times, with his son John continuing to occupy the house in Concord. The Trimble family became more and more successful in the milling business in the second half of the 18th century. William had built a sawmill downstream from the Newlin Grist Mill by 1764. His son John started leasing Newlin Grist Mill in 1768. John's son--William Trimble, Jr.--took over the lease of the grist mill after his father's death in 1772. The Trimble family put another addition onto the house in the 1780s or 1790s. William Sr. left the Concord property to William Jr. when he died in 1795. William Jr. opened a paper mill on the West Branch of Chester Creek that operated from 1796 to 1817. At that point, he purchased the Grist Mill from the Newlin family and operated it until 1829, when he sold it to Abraham Sharpless. The Trimble house remained in the hands of the Trimble family until John Hill purchased the property in 1861. In the 20th century, the Hills were followed as residents by Tom and Myrtle Pennewell and then Larry and Pat Dunbar. The Nicholas Newlin Foundation purchased the house in 1991, reuniting the Newlin Grist Mill and the Trimble House.

The Trimble House sits uphill from the Grist Mill and Miller's House. The Trimble family purchased the property adjacent to that of the Newlins in 1737. Also in the milling trade, they would go on to lease the Grist Mill from the Newlin family and eventually purchased it from them.

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*** PLEASE NOTE: Part of the Trimble House continues to be used as a private residence. Please be respectful of the occupants and refrain from knocking on doors, looking in windows, etc. ***

Newlin Grist Mill

Potash Kiln

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Backstory and Context

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