This Grist Mill in OH was in use until 1904


Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio
Date added: December 03, 2023 Categories:
South and west elevations with addition on west (1989)

Rock Mill was built in 1824, replacing an earlier log mill structure (1799) on the same site, which was the first mill in Fairfield County and the first mill on the Hocking River. The first mill, a combined saw/grist mill, built by Loveland & Smith, continued to be the only grist mill in the township as late as 1822 when it was washed away by a flood. A Mr. Barrett (Barnett?) built the Rock Mill in 1824. The mill was named for the rock formations in the area in the 19th century, although it is not known if it has been called Rock Mill since its construction. Subsequent owners of Rock Mill after Barrett were Abraham Bookwalter, Christian Morehart, Joseph Knabenshue, Philip Homrighous (c.1875-), John Foor (Solt, Alspach Bros. & Foor) (1893-1899+), Mr. Talley, J. P. Gundy & F. H. Barlow (-1904?), William "Sherman" Alspach (1904?-1941), Mary Alspach and Urcell Alspach (1941-). The Interior of the mill was remodeled and converted from waterpower to turbine and then steam power under John Foor's ownership in 1899. It stopped operating as a mill in c.1904 following Sherman Alspach's acquisition, after which it was used for agricultural storage. The mill is now vacant.

Significant architectural features include its hand-hewn timber braced frame construction with mortise and tenon joints held by wooden pegs, its wood flooring and some wrought-iron hardware. Its locally quarried sandstone foundation and remnants of the original weatherboards are also interesting features. Additionally significant are the intact millrace and dam site adjacent to the mill, and the manmade features in the gorge showing evidence of the forebay and waterwheel. Because the mill race was cut through solid rock much of the nineteenth century mason's work is still evident. Even without the wooden components, it is possible to appreciate the operation of this feature to an extent paralleled by few other mill sites in the state.

Despite the loss of milling equipment, the mill still retains sufficient structural integrity to reveal interpretative information on the history of Ohio grist milling. In particular the remains of the hursting frame, among the most significant elements of this mill, could still be examined in detail. Furthermore, patterns of holes in the floors can be used to understand the placement of power transmission and elevators.

Rock Mill is the only remaining grist mill in Fairfield County, representative of a resource which was once abundant and an activity which was integral to the early settlement of the county and which first took place at the Rock Mill site. Information taken from the industrial censuses of 1850, 1870, and 1880, support that Fairfield County typically had at least 20 grist mills in operation during these years. There were 21 water-powered grist mills and 2 others documented in 1850, 22 water-powered and 5 others documented in 1870, and 9 water-powered and 15 others documented in 1880. The non-water-powered mills were powered by turbines or steam engines.

In the 1840s and '50s, when water-powered grist mills peaked in Ohio, there were approximately 2,000 in operation. (Garber) Today there are approximately 70 extant grist mills in the state, ranging in date from 1804 to the early 20th century. Only a few of these 70 predate the Rock Mill.

Site Description

The site includes the mill building, dam site, mill race, and manmade features in the sandstone gorge showing evidence of the forebay and waterwheel.

Rock Mill is a rectangular plan, braced frame grist mill built in 1824. It is built on the edge of a sandstone gorge about 40' in depth just below the upper falls of the Hocking River (formerly called the Hockhocking River), in the southeast quarter of Section 25, Bloom Township, Fairfield County, about seven miles from Lancaster. The building sits upon a series of three sandstone ledges on a .76 acre triangular parcel of land historically associated with the mill, adjacent to the Rock Mill Covered Bridge on the old Columbus-Marietta Road. There are no other buildings on the parcel. The mill building measures approximately 34' wide, facing the gorge (north elevation), 38' long, and 70' high. It has three stories above the rim of the gorge and two additional levels below the rim which are within the basin of the gorge. The main floor of the mill is approximately 48' above the rock bottom of the gorge. The building is set on a foundation of approximately 4' of coursed sandstone taken from a nearby quarry downstream. The mill is topped with a metal-covered gable roof. The framework of the mill is constructed of hand-hewn oak timbers. The posts, 16 in number, four full height for each side, and four short ones for the first floor, are 12 x 12 inches in size. Both the corner and wall posts are substantially braced for strong rigid support by 4 by 6 inch timbers. The massive plates that span across the mill are also hand-hewn oak, 14 inches wide by 12 inches thick and 32 feet long. The plates for the first floor are supported by posts, but those on the second and third floors span the entire mill, thus leaving large unrestricted rooms for the spacing of the various milling machinery and storage bins. The framework of the mill is in four bends [bents]. The joists are mainly 3 x 10 Inch x 14 feet long, spaced on 4 foot centers. The studs for holding the siding and windows are of 4 by 4 inch material securely mitered into the sills and plates. The weatherboards, chiefly yellow poplar and hemlock, are 7 inch wide by 1/2 inch thick. The flooring throughout the mill is tongue and grooved, 1 and 1/8 inch thick and is of various widths up to 17 inches and of different lengths up to 22 feet. There are nine windows on a side with frames 31 and 1/2 by 56 inches. About every seventh rafter is notched and pinned to a cross-tie beam. The gorge elevation (north) has 10 windows. Many of the windows had 6/6 light double-hung sash with plain wood trim, although many of the existing sash are in very deteriorated condition. Some window openings also have historic shutters. Other openings include a large sliding door opening located at ground level on the south elevation, and a single vertical board door opening on the east elevation at the lower gorge level. Two door openings are on the lowest level of the north elevation originally intended to provide access to the forebay and waterwheel structures.

A large rectangular opening for the wheel and power gearing is at the lowest level of the north elevation.

The lowest level of the subgrade of the mill includes remains of the hursting or husk frame supporting the gearing and the pair of buhrstones. This frame isolated the vibration of the gearing and buhrstones from the main mill structure. A large rectangular depression approximately 18" in depth and measuring about 18' by 10' was cut out of the lower ledge to accommodate the hursting frame. The frame itself has collapsed into this hole and the buhrstones now lie immediately adjacent to this depression. The upper sub-level, the floor on top of the hursting frame, exists now only in its collapsed condition.

The ground or first-floor level of the Interior has the remains of an office in the southeast corner. Horizontal plank boards are still covered by fragments of wallpaper. The lower portion of a chute is at the center of the east wall. Holes for power transmission lines, elevators, and chutes exist in the western half of the floor. Narrow wooden rails are fixed to the bottom of two-floor joists for the second floor in the northeast corner, perhaps the remains of power line shafting. A stairway in the northwest corner leads to the second level.

On the second level can be seen evidence of bins in the two southern corners. Strips are nailed to the vertical posts to hold wide horizontal planks. Several planks are still intact. The patterns of holes in the floor for power lines and chutes is on the eastern half of the floor. The stairway to the next level duplicates the previous story.

The central bay of the third level is open. Small bins were apparently in the two southern corners that coincide with the story below. A rail for a pulley system is suspended from the rafters by wrought-iron hooks and a pulley still hangs from one end. None of the original waterpower milling equipment is existing, with the exception of a buhrstone previously mentioned. Purportedly, the mill was originally built as a combined grist and woolen mill, but the woolen machinery was never installed.

Originally powered by a 26-foot diameter overshot waterwheel, there was also a dam, millpond, millrace, forebay, penstock, and catwalk constructed in conjunction with the mill... The millrace was cut through the solid sandstone, measuring about 30" in width and 22' deep. This is still evident. The race shows evidence of nineteenth-century stone quarrying markings and notches for a framework at the opening and slots for boards at the beginning of the penstock. "The dam was constructed of heavy timbers anchored into the walls of the rock just above the brink of the falls. The millpond thus created was small, only some 35 rods long...."

Slots cut in the sandstone to hold boards can still be seen at the dam site. Evidence also remains in the face of the gorge beneath the mil] of the frameworks which supported the wheel and forebay. A series of large notches of varying size are still intact as well as what appears to be a dished out shape of the wheelpit at the base of the cliff.

The mill was remodeled in 1899. A turbine was installed to replace the waterwheel, but proved unsatisfactory so it was then changed to steam power. New machinery from Nordyke & Marmon Company (of Indianapolis) was installed as was a Swing Sifter System. Later in the 20th century, the south and east sides of the mill were covered with corrugated metal siding as a protective measure, due to the extent of deterioration of the wood siding. Nothing remains of the later milling equipment.

A small frame "office/workshop" addition on the southwest corner of the building was presumably added at the time the mill was remodeled in 1899. It has horizontal siding and is topped with a metal shed roof. The windows in this addition are 2/2 double hung wood sash. There is one window on each of the three exposed sides of the addition. There is a single entry door on the south elevation. A brick chimney is located in the northwest corner.

The mill closed c.1905, the equipment was removed, and the building was used for agricultural storage thereafter. It is currently vacant.

From the exterior, the mill appears to be in very deteriorated condition. Much of the weatherboard siding has fallen off or been removed by vandals. The northwest corner of the mill is structurally unsound. The corner post and foundation plate in this corner have disintegrated. The floor in the lower gorge level has collapsed. However, upon closer inspection of the interior, the remainder of the framework and flooring in the mill is in excellent condition. The later metal siding has significantly contributed to the preservation of this structure. Assuming stabilization would soon take place on the northwest corner, preservation of the mill is feasible.

To the south of Rock Mill is a 50+ acre parcel of farmland with a 1907 farmhouse, a 1919 barn, and several outbuildings.

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio General view (1989)
General view (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio South and east elevations (1989)
South and east elevations (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio South and west elevations with addition on west (1989)
South and west elevations with addition on west (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio West boundary (1989)
West boundary (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio West addition detail (1989)
West addition detail (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio West elevation (1989)
West elevation (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio West elevation (1989)
West elevation (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio West elevation (1989)
West elevation (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio West and north (gorge) elevation (1989)
West and north (gorge) elevation (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio North (gorge) elevation (1989)
North (gorge) elevation (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio North elevation with gorge below (1989)
North elevation with gorge below (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio Hursting frame and millstones (1989)
Hursting frame and millstones (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio Hursting frame and millstones (1989)
Hursting frame and millstones (1989)

Rock Mill Flour Mill, Lancaster Ohio Hursting frame remnants (1989)
Hursting frame remnants (1989)