Simpsonville Mill | |
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General information | |
Type | Grist Mill |
Location | Cedar Lane, Columbia, Maryland |
Coordinates | 39°11′18″N76°53′40″W / 39.18829°N 76.89433°W |
Completed | Mid 1700s |
The Simpsonville Mill is a historic pre-colonial mill complex in Simpsonville, Maryland, part of the Columbia, Maryland land development.
The Stone mill ruins are located under the Cedar lane bridge spanning the Middle Patuxent River adjacent to the James and Anne Robinson Nature Center.
The Mill has been known as Joshua Warfield's mill, Richard Owing's Mill, and Simpsonville Mill. Annapolis-raised John Hobbs Jr purchased property along the Middle Patuxent River Valley in 1741, selling it to Joshua Dorey in 1749. [1] In 1768, Joshua Dorsey listed the stone mill in his will. The property was acquired by Vachel Worthington in 1789. Richard Owings purchased 11 acres surrounding the mill in 1796 and expanded the property to 1000 acres. The Owings brothers operated several local mills when Napoleonic Wars caused a brief surge in flour prices, making operations very profitable at $11.00 or more a barrel, but declined shortly afterward. In 1852, Charles Ridgley Simpson bought 215 acres surrounding the mill. Production shifted to wool cloth with six employees manning six spindles, four looms, and two carders. William Simpson inherited the mill after his brother's death in 1854. After the conclusion of the Civil War, William Bradshaw operated the mill from 1865 until his death in 1877. The mill was auctioned off and the Ellicott City Times described the mill at this time as...
A large three story woolen factory driven by a new turbine wheel of 25 horsepower. Grist Mill, and Saw Mill, Blacksmith and Wheelwright Shop. A Store Building with eight dwelling houses, A large switzer barn with stabling for twelve horses with all necessary farm buildings 215 acres under cultivation and good fencing [2]
James Simpson brought the mill back to the Simpson family in 1878 who subsequently sold off a small parcel of the property and converted from wool production back to milling. Justice of the Peace Charles R. and Mary Wilson owned the mill from 1904 to 1909. [3] From 1909 to 1934 former Howard County Commissioner William Welling Iglehart purchased the property with his brother John Iglehart. Iglehart operated the building as a Sawmill, Grist Mill and pre-prohibition basement Cider Mill with production decreasing rapidly by 1915. [4] In 1917 John Iglehart took over. In 1920, a mill fire gutted the building, leaving the stone walls mostly intact. As the Great depression hit, the Eueka-Maryland Assurance Company took over in 1934 after the Igleharts defaulted on a mortgage. In 1963, Howard Research and Development purchased the property. [5] [6]
Howard Research and Development (Rouse Corporation) purchased the 58.5 acre site during the formation of the Columbia, Maryland development changing the land to "New Town" zoning which was later changed to R-ED (Residential - Environmental). In 1977, A new bridge was proposed across the middle Patuxent River at a raised height of 14 feet above water level. [7] A historic inventory was performed in 1979 with little mention of the building's history, noting that it was up to the developer if they chose to submit the property to the national register. In 1993, a State highway project realigned a bridge across the Middle Patuxent to span the Simpsonville Mill site. A $350,000 Archeological dig was performed, finding a dozen homes, a blacksmith and wheelwright shop including evidence of a post office and other shops. [8] A portion of the land forms the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. [9] In 1994 the Maryland State Highway Administration announced it would build a bridge over the historic mill with matching stone arches. Project engineer John Murphy was quoted "It really will be something. It's going to be beautiful," [10]
In 2014, the millsite was placed on the Preserve Howard top ten most endangered list due to delays transferring the property from the state highway administration. [11] In 2015, the site ownership was transferred to Howard County, remaining on the endangered list.
The Mill stood at the center of a small milling district that was deemed eligible for three out of four categories for the National Register of Historic Places.
Columbia is a census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland, United States, and is one of the principal communities of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. It is a planned community consisting of 10 self-contained villages.
Guilford is an unincorporated community located in Howard County in the state of Maryland. The location is named after the Guilford Mill. Guilford is near Kings Contrivance, one of the nine "villages" of Columbia.
Savage is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in Howard County, Maryland, United States, approximately 18 miles (29 km) south of Baltimore and 21 miles (34 km) north of Washington, D.C. It is situated close to the city of Laurel and to the planned community of Columbia. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 7,054. The former mill town is a registered historic place, and has many original buildings preserved within and around the Savage Mill Historic District.
Oakland Mills is one of the 10 villages in Columbia, Maryland, United States. It is located immediately east of Town Center, across U.S. Route 29.
The Savage Mill is a historic cotton mill complex in Savage, Maryland, which has been turned into a complex of shops and restaurants. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It is located in the Savage Mill Historic District. Buildings in the complex date from 1822 to 1916.
Woodlawn, is a historic slave plantation located at Columbia, Howard County, Maryland. It is a two-story, stuccoed stone house built in 1840 with wood frame portions constructed about 1785. It was part of a 200-acre farm divided from larger parcels patented by the Dorsey family. The design reflects the transition between the Greek Revival and Italianate architecture styles. The home is associated with Henry Howard Owings, a prominent Howard County landowner and farmer, who also served as a judge of the Orphan's Court for Howard County. Owings purchased the property in 1858 and died at Woodlawn in 1869. The former tobacco farm produced corn, oats, hay, and pork. The majority of the property surrounding Woodland and its slave quarters were subdivided by 1966 and purchased by Howard Research and Development for the planned community development Columbia, Maryland, leaving only 5 acres surrounded by multiple lots intended for development of an Oakland Ridge industrial center and equestrian center. The summer kitchen, smokehouse, corn crib and stable built about 1830 have been replaced by a parking lot.
The Savage Mill Historic District is a national historic district located at Savage, Howard County, Maryland. The district comprises the industrial complex of Savage Mill and the village of workers' housing to the north of the complex.
Simpsonville is an unincorporated community in Howard County, Maryland, United States.
The Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (MPEA) is a 1,021-acre (4.13 km2) wildlife area in Clarksville, Maryland and operated by the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks. It is located next to the River Hill village in the town of Columbia, Maryland, in the United States. The MPEA was created in 1996 for educational, research, and recreational purposes.
The James and Anne Robinson Nature Center is a nature education facility situated on 18 acres of park land adjacent to the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Geothermal heating/air-conditioning, porous paving, solar panels, water conservation methods and other features make this building environmentally-friendly and have earned it the LEED Certified Platinum designation. Each year, the Center runs over 450 programs including field trips, public programs, birthday parties, home school and scout programs. James and Anne Robinson cared for the property for decades and kept it from being used by developers, ultimately arranging transfer to Howard County, Maryland for enjoyment by the general public. The Center continues to be partially supported by the James & Anne Robinson Foundation and is owned and operated by the Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks.
The Hockley Forge and Mill are a collection of colonial-era industrial buildings along the Patapsco River near modern Elkridge, Maryland. Located at the river's head of navigation, the site is a flat section of land along the Patapsco River valley with steep embankments on either side. At its 19th-century peak, the site held more than 30 industrial buildings.
Atholton is an unincorporated community in Howard County, Maryland, United States. A postal office operated from May 26, 1897 to November 1900 and again from 1903 to July 1917.
Oakland Manor is a Federal style stone manor house commissioned in 1810 by Charles Sterrett Ridgely in the Howard district of Anne Arundel County Maryland. The lands that became Oakland Manor were patented by John Dorsey as "Dorsey's Adventure" in 1688 which was willed to his grandson Edward Dorsey. In 1785, Luther Martin purchased properties named "Dorsey's Adventure", "Dorsey's Inheritance", "Good for Little", "Chew's Vineyard", and "Adam the First" to make the 2300 acre "Luther Martin's Elkridge Farm".
Moundland was a historic plantation home located between Simpsonville and Guilford, Howard County, Maryland, now part of the Columbia land development.
Roxbury Mill is a historic flour and grist mill located in Glenwood, Howard County, Maryland, now part of the Howard County Farm Museum.
Athol is a historic slave manor and rectory located in Columbia (Simpsonville), Howard County, Maryland, U.S.
Hatfield Safe House, or Simpsonville Mill Miller's House is a historic home located at Columbia, Howard County, Maryland, United States.
The Iglehart House was a historic home located in Columbia, Maryland, Howard County, Maryland, now part of the Rouse Company land development.
The Souder House is a historic commercial building located in Scaggsville, Maryland, Howard County, Maryland, now owned by the Howard County Government.
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