Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska
New member
I've been helping a guy paint the exterior of a house... well, really, its a recreational fishing cabin on a lake. Have I ever told you all how much I hate painting houses? I must have forgotten myself. But I have realized the extent of my loathing of painting houses over the last few days. However, something good did come of it. We came upon this historical marker sign, just down the road from where we're painting the house.
[attachment 38836 marker.jpg]
Near this marker sign is the remains of a HUGE old mill. General Lee spent a night here, a few days after the end of the Civil War, while making his way to Richmond. I'm sure he was travelling with a rather large group of officers and men.
[attachment 38837 1.jpg]
This is the back of Flannigan's Mill, it is four stories high. Contruction started in 1765. The lower beams in this construction are absolutely massive; hand-hewn, gargantuan beams, 16 x 16", 20 - 22 feet long. You'd really have to see it to appreciate the workmanship and herculean effort it took, raising material this high without modern equipment. Some of the stones in the foundation had to weigh two tons.
[attachment 38838 2.jpg]
Here is a shot of some of the awesome stonework in the foundation of the old mill. You need to be standing her to realize how big some of these stones are. The old water wheel, I'm guessing, has a diameter of about 18-20 feet, at least, if not more.
[attachment 38840 3.jpg]
Here's some of the beamwork in the upper level, construction continuing in the the 1800's. It is a mixture of mill-cut and hand-hewn beams, averaging 14" square.
[attachment 38841 4.jpg]
This is just a small section on the third floor of the mill. These pulley-run wheels were suspended everywhere, on every level, driven by a belt that looks similar to a fire hose, that were geared off of the main water wheel. I think this was a multi-functional mill that not only was a grist operation, but possibly saw mill and blacksmith shop. There was even a huge furnace in there. I took over 25 pictures, I'm just posting 5 pictures of the mill.
[attachment 38844 5.jpg]
The coolest thing... just before we left, we happened to look up at the massive slate-covered roof, and spotted this waaaaay too cool, glass ball, weather vane/lightning rod fixture. There is a matching fixture on each end of the building, minus the glass ball. Man, I'd like to get that.
The mill's in very bad shape. Some of the heavy machinery has fallen through the floors, and crashed all the way down into the basement. We had to be very careful as we made our way around the mill, and up three flights of stairs.
Vernon
[attachment 38836 marker.jpg]
Near this marker sign is the remains of a HUGE old mill. General Lee spent a night here, a few days after the end of the Civil War, while making his way to Richmond. I'm sure he was travelling with a rather large group of officers and men.
[attachment 38837 1.jpg]
This is the back of Flannigan's Mill, it is four stories high. Contruction started in 1765. The lower beams in this construction are absolutely massive; hand-hewn, gargantuan beams, 16 x 16", 20 - 22 feet long. You'd really have to see it to appreciate the workmanship and herculean effort it took, raising material this high without modern equipment. Some of the stones in the foundation had to weigh two tons.
[attachment 38838 2.jpg]
Here is a shot of some of the awesome stonework in the foundation of the old mill. You need to be standing her to realize how big some of these stones are. The old water wheel, I'm guessing, has a diameter of about 18-20 feet, at least, if not more.
[attachment 38840 3.jpg]
Here's some of the beamwork in the upper level, construction continuing in the the 1800's. It is a mixture of mill-cut and hand-hewn beams, averaging 14" square.
[attachment 38841 4.jpg]
This is just a small section on the third floor of the mill. These pulley-run wheels were suspended everywhere, on every level, driven by a belt that looks similar to a fire hose, that were geared off of the main water wheel. I think this was a multi-functional mill that not only was a grist operation, but possibly saw mill and blacksmith shop. There was even a huge furnace in there. I took over 25 pictures, I'm just posting 5 pictures of the mill.
[attachment 38844 5.jpg]
The coolest thing... just before we left, we happened to look up at the massive slate-covered roof, and spotted this waaaaay too cool, glass ball, weather vane/lightning rod fixture. There is a matching fixture on each end of the building, minus the glass ball. Man, I'd like to get that.
The mill's in very bad shape. Some of the heavy machinery has fallen through the floors, and crashed all the way down into the basement. We had to be very careful as we made our way around the mill, and up three flights of stairs.
Vernon
Post more pics of the place when you have time. Thanks