Chesterbrook Mill

Chesterbrook Mill. Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society Archives

This mill was on the west side of Mill Road where it crosses Valley Creek (see 1847 map below). The Grist Mill was built by Joseph Mitchell around 1770 (when it was advertized in the Pennsylvania Gazette). The mill was sold in a Sheriff’s sale in 1789 to Henry Zook. He, in turn, sold it to Adam Siter in 1797. In the Glass Tax records on 1798 it is described as being a stone building 44’ by 33’, with Enoch Walker as the tenant.

1847 Map

The mill passed through several owners before being purchased by David Beaver in 1805. This was the start of a long period of ownership by the Beaver family. In 1847 Samuel Beaver attempted to sell the mill as shown from this advertisement in the Village Record from the 14th December:

Valuable Merchant & Grist Mill at Private Sale

The subscriber offers at private sale, his mill property, situate in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, PA., 2½ miles north of Paoli and the Columbia Railroad, and about the same distance from the Schuylkill Navigation and Reading Railroad at Valley Forge.

The improvements consist of a Merchant and Grist Mill, 51 by 41 feet, 3 stories high, with 3 run of burrs and a corn kiln, with all the necessary machinery, completely arranged for doing merchant and country work. The mill is nearly new, built of the best materials in the most substantial manner. The power is one of the best on the Great Valley Creek, which affords an ample supply of water at all seasons. The dwelling is commodious and finished in the best manner, the barn, cooper’s shop, and other outbuildings all in good repair. There is 23 ACRES of valley land, in a high state of cultivation, with an excellent apple orchard and variety of other fruit trees. This property is handsomely situated, and is equal to any in the county for the milling business, or might easily be converted into a manufacturing establishment, and will be sold on accommodating terms, if applied for soon. For further information apply to the subscriber on the premises. Samuel Beaver jr. Great Valley Mill, October 19, 1847.

This advertisement failed to elicit a buyer and it was in 1854 that Samuel Beaver eventually sold the mill to Lewis Worrall for $12,100. The mill probably had 2 waterwheels at this time.

The 1880 manufacturing census shows James H. Rennard as the owner; capital invested $8300; 1/3 custom, 2/3 for market; employing 2 men; turbine wheel 15 hp; 1304 barrels of wheat flour; 38 barrels of rye flour; 18,000 pounds of corn meal.

The Mill burned down in the spring of 1920 and was not rebuilt. Seely Dewees was the miller at the time.

A detailed timeline for the Mill

  • 1765 Joseph Hughes to Joseph Mitchel (deed)
  • 1770 Joseph Mitchel advertisement in the Pennsylvania Gazette
  • 1775 Joseph Michel – Grist Mill (Provincial Tax)
  • 1778 Joseph Mitchel – mill on 155 acres (State Tax)
  • 1779 Mills: Joseph Mitchell (Tax records)
  • 1779 Elizabeth & John Davis to Thomas Davis; Mentions lane to Fulling Mill (deed V-611)
  • 1781 Joseph Mitchell; Grist Mill, £200 (Tax: 2.5% for raising additional supplies etc.)
  • 1783 Joseph Mitchell: Grist Mill, £200; (Tax: 2.75%)
  • 1785 Joseph Mitchell: 1 Grist Mill (State Tax)
  • 1787 Joseph Mitchell: 1 Grist Mill; (Tax records)
  • 1788 Joseph Michel: Grist Mill, (Tax records)
  • 1789 Joseph Mitchell: 1 Mill; (State Tax)
  • 1789 Sheriff to Henry Zook, 3/16/1789, 105 acres & 50 acres; Grist mill & 2 tracts; Sheriff’s deed #1-55. Previous owners: Joseph & Ann Mitchell. Previously Joseph Hughes of Wales? Brown’s Hall
  • 1790 Sheriff to Henry Zook, deed E2-326
  • 1791 Henry Zook: 1 Grist Mill (Tax)
  • 1795 Henry Zook: 1 Grist Mill (Tax)
  • 1796 Henry Zook: Grist Mill, $1600 (Tax)
  • 1797 Henry Zook to Adam Siter, 1/30/1797; 50 acres & 75 acres 30 perches; deed O2-175. Miller & mill – Enoch Walker (County Tax)
  • 1798 Adam Siter’s heirs owned a stone grist mill 44’ x 33’ on 74 acres tenant Enoch Walker, adjacent to John Koogler. (glass tax) Grist Mill – Enoch Walker (County Tax)
  • 1799 Grist mill – Adam Siter’s heirs, $1000 (occupier: Enoch Walker), county tax
  • 1800 Grist mill – Adam Siter’s heirs, $1000 (occupier: Abraham Jones), county tax
  • 1801 Executors of Adam Siter to Samuel King, 75 acres 30 perches & 50 acres (deed T2-633)
  • 1801 Samuel King Grist mill – Siter’s mill
  • 1802 Samuel King Grist mill – Siter’s mill
  • 1803 Samuel King to Levi Evans, 75 acres 30 perches & 50 acres (deed W2-343)
  • 1805 Levi Evans to Devault Beaver, 75 acres 30 perches & 50 acres (deed Z2-39)
  • 1807 David Beaver miller (Pennsylvania Septennial Census)
  • 1810 David Beaver – grist mill (county tax)
  • 1814 David Beaver miller (Pennsylvania Septennial Census)
  • 1821 David Beaver miller (Pennsylvania Septennial Census)
  • 1823 David Beaver (Road deed)
  • 1825 David Beaver – grist mill (county tax)
  • 1827 Devault Beaver to David Beaver, 23 acres + 12½ acres + 5¾ acres (deed B4-70)
  • 1827 David Beaver died, eventually descending to Samuel Beaver junior
  • 1828 Samuel Beaver miller (Pennsylvania Septennial Census)
  • 1830 Catherine Beaver – mill (county tax)
  • 1835 Samuel Beaver, miller – mill (county tax)
  • 1836 Samuel Beaver, miller – mill (county tax)
  • 1837 Samuel Beaver, miller – mill (county tax)
  • 1838 Samuel Beaver, miller – mill (county tax)
  • 1839 Samuel Beaver Mill on 22a & 17a (tax)
  • 1845 Samuel Beaver 3 stories, 3 run of burrs on 23a (sale ad)
  • 1845 Samuel Beaver (ad)
  • 1847 Samuel Beaver, grist mill, 51’x 41’, 3 stories, 2 waterwheels, 3 run of burrs on 23 acres [Village Record 12/14/1847]
  • 1850 Samuel Beaver (ad)
  • 1850 Samuel Beaver Miller 3 runs of burrs, 2 people employed on 40a; also owned 174 acres farm (manufacturing census)
  • 1850 Samuel Beaver, grist mill, 51’x 41’, 3½ stories, 2 waterwheels, 3 run of burrs on 23 acres (sale ad)
  • 1851 Samuel Beaver (ad)
  • 1853 Samuel Beaver, grist mill, 51’x 41’, 3 stories, 2 waterwheels, 3 run of burrs on 23 acres (sale ad)
  • 1854 Samuel Beaver, grist mill, 51’x 41’, 3½ stories, 2 waterwheels, 3 run of burrs on 23 acres (sale ad)
  • 1854 Samuel Beaver jr., of Tredyffrin, has sold his mill property, known as the “Valley Mill” at public sale to Lewis L. Worrall, of Willistown for $12,100. [L 12/2/1854]
  • 1854 Joseph Fronefield Valley Forge Plaster Mill (ad)
  • 1855 Samuel Beaver to Lewis Worrall, 23 acres (deed X5-426)
  • 1856 S. Beaver’s Grist Mill (Kennedy map of Chester County) Lewis Worrell miller (Pennsylvania Septennial Census)
  • 1861 Lewis L. Worrell, grist mill, 51’ x 41’, 3½ stories, 2 wheels, 3 run of burrs, on 23 acres (sale ad)
  • 1865 Lewis L. Worrall, new dam (ad)
  • 1866 Lewis L. Worrall, grist mill on 23 acres (sale ad)
  • 1868 J. Leedon Worrell Chester Valley Grist Mill on 23 acres (ad)
  • 1869 Lewis L. Worrall Double vertical discharge turbine wheel. Managed by J. Leedon Worrell (ad)
  • 1870 capital invested $1200, 2 hp wheel; 2 employees, materials: wheat (difficult to read) Manufacturing Census – Seedon Worrall
  • 1871 Joseph Fronefield moves to Worrall’s Mill (newspaper clipping)
  • 1873 Joseph Fronefield Grist Mill (Witmer’s Atlas)
  • 1880 James H. Rennard; capital invested $8300; 1/3 custom, 2/3 for market; employing 2 men; turbine wheel 15 hp; 1304 barrels of wheat flour; 38 barrels of rye flour; 18,000 pounds of corn meal (manufacturing census)
  • 1883 Harrison Rennard, Grist Mill (Breou)
  • 1887 J. Harrison Rennard flouring mill possibly being converted to woolen mill (newspaper clipping)
  • 1891 J. H. Rennard rented mill to Hoopes M. Vandover (newspaper clipping)
  • 1897 Harrison Rennard mill (Mueller’s atlas)
  • 1912 Fetter’s Grist Mill (Mueller’s atlas)
  • 1920 Spring, burnt down; Seely Dewees miller.