The History of the Open Land Conservancy’s
Valley Creek Preserve

Date: 18 May 2007

The first European to occupy the area of the Valley Creek Preserve was a Welshman, Thomas Jerman.  He purchased 300 acres of land that encompassed the preserve in 1701.  Jerman was one of the first settlers in Tredyffrin Township.  He built a grist mill on Valley Creek before the township was established, a road being laid out to the mill in 1710. 

The land was passed down in the family until Jerman Walker (Thomas Jerman’s grandson) sold off part of the land including the mill in 1755 and 1762 to John Rowland.  In 1779 Rowland purchased an acre of land on the east side of North Valley Road and built a second mill, where the present Great Valley Mill stands.

The land including the first mill was sold to Adam Rickabaugh a Swiss Mennonite.  He converted the mill to be a crushing mill, rather than a grinding mill, and crushed hemp and produced vegetable oil.  He also built a sawmill.  The mill was still in existence as late as 1878.

In 1883 the land of the preserve was split between 3 tracts, the north east section was owned by Jacob Clements, the west section by Dr. Jacob Rickabaugh, and the south east section by Joseph Jeanes, who also owned the Great Valley Mill.

The preserve is 45.9 acres in extent.  It comprises 4 parcels: 9 acres given by Mr & Mrs Robert Maes in 1975, 19.2 acres given by Pohlig Builders in 1987, 10.5 acres purchased by the Conservancy in 1990 from William Barrett, and 7.2 acres purchased at a nominal cost from Betty Jane and Richard Toland in 1997.  The Tolands also gave an easement on their property south of the preserve.