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Newlin Grist Mill

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This is a contributing entry for Newlin Grist Mill and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.
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).

The Archive building, originally a general store.

Image of 2-story stuccoed building with a pulley system above the central doors.

The tailrace of the Grist Mill runs in an arched stone tunnel underneath the Archive building.

Image of 2-story stuccoed building with a pulley system above the central doors.

The building is now climate-controlled and houses archival materials.

Image of room with shelving holding archival boxes.

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.

Case, Robert P. Prosperity And Progress: Concord Township, Pennsylvania, 1683-1983. Chester, Pa.: Concord Township Historical Society, 1983.

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Newlin Grist Mill

Newlin Grist Mill

Newlin Grist Mill