Midway Mills, Virginia

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Midway Mills is an unincorporated community in Nelson County, Virginia, United States. [1] Originally called Midway, the settlement was established on June 6, 1774, by Dr. William Cabell, (born 1699), and was the first European settlement in Nelson County. It was named Midway because it was midway between Richmond and Lynchburg along the James River. The area, at that time part of "Old Albemarle County", was later divided into the counties of Albemarle, Amherst, Buckingham, Nelson, and Fluvanna between 1741 and 1809.

Dr. William Cabell owned many slaves, which were inherited by his children and grandchildren. One great-grandchild, Nathaniel Francis Cabell, (born 1807) documented a list of slaves in a diary, which is kept at the Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. His list of slave families living at Edgewood, Warminster, Union Hill, and Liberty Hall includes the Nicholas, Diggs, Venable, Woodson, Mayo, Early, Tompkins, Beverly, Horsley, Tucker, Rose, and Rives families.

It was the site of Midway Mill, constructed in 1787, by William H. Cabell and demolished in 1998. [2] [3]

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Midway Mill was a historic grist mill located at Midway Mills, Nelson County, Virginia. It was built in 1787 by William H. Cabell (1772–1853), with minor alterations in 1810. It was a 4 1/4-story, uncoarsed ashlar stone rectangular structure with a slate gable roof. Associated with the mill were the contributing stone arch bridge and the late-19th century frame Simpson House. It once stood beside the James River and Kanawha Canal at the halfway point on the James River between Lynchburg and Richmond. It was demolished in 1998.

References

  1. "Midway Mills". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  2. Virginia Historic Landmark Commission staff (January 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Midway Mill" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
  3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.

Coordinates: 37°39′58″N78°43′20″W / 37.66611°N 78.72222°W / 37.66611; -78.72222