Written By Jennifer Green

Nestled on the banks of the Pickering Creek in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania and overlooking 22 acres of pristine landscape, lies the best preserved example of a colonialera custom water-powered grist mill in the country. 250 years of human stewardship have left their fingerprints on the Mill, which visitors are welcome to explore every weekend through guided tours and hands-on family fun. From its construction by Samuel Lightfoot in c. 1747 to its struggle for survival in the Depression-weary 1930s, the Mill at Anselma evolved to fit the changing demands of its rural Chester County community. Because of this amazing adaptability and the Mill’s close ties to its neighbors, visitors to Anselma today can explore a grist mill whose power train system dates back to the colonial era, layered with technological modifications and changes that reflect the industrial boom of the 19th century and the hardships of the Great Depression.

Named a National Historic Landmark in 2005 due to the historical authenticity of its original wooden power train system, Anselma’s history was shaped indelibly by the individuals who lived there. In the 1820s, Rees Sheneman installed grain elevators designed by Oliver Evans, an inventor from Wilmington, Delaware. These elevators — a breakthrough in industrial technology — transported grain between the three floors of the Mill so that the equipment could run continuously on its own, without added human labor. Much like Henry Ford’s introduction of the automobile assembly line, Oliver Evans'technology revolutionized the milling industry.

In 1859 a young entrepreneur named John Oberholtzer took over operation of the Mill. His wife, Sara Louisa Vickers, began writing poetry at a young age, counting no less than John Greenleaf Whittier as a friend and mentor. As visitors witness the steady turning of the Mill’s water wheel and enjoy the scent of freshly ground flour, they might experience the same rush of joy she felt when she wrote in one of her poems,

“Listen to the damsel dancing To the jig of feed and flour, And the water-wheel revolving With a dashing constant power.”

As visitors tour the Mill building, passing by the spinning wooden gears and the massive millstones above, it is the small room in one corner of the second floor, crowded with tools, machine parts and an aged barber’s chair, that tends to draw the most questions. In 1929, when the Stock Market crashed and the nation sunk into the Great Depression, the Oliver Collins family engaged in whatever activities they could to keep the Mill afloat. While Oliver Collins did everything from machine repair, to cutting hair, to pressing apple cider, his wife Ethel ran the Anselma Post Office out of a small addition to their home. Though Collins abandoned the milling business in 1934, he kept the Mill from sinking into ruin, and safeguarded it until his death in 1982.

Preserved in 1983 by the French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, the Mill came under the stewardship of the Mill at Anselma Preservation and Educational Trust in 1999. In 2004, after a painstaking restoration process, the millstones once again turned to grind flour. Today, the small staff and large volunteer force of the Mill at Anselma Trust connect visitors with America’s rich industrial and agricultural heritage through tours, milling demonstrations and hands-on family activities.

The Mill at Anselma Today

With a nod to the past and an eye on the future, Anselma provides a rare and pleasant blend of history and community consciousness. During monthly milling demonstrations visitors are treated to a powerful sensory experience as they watch water flow over the sixteen-foot water wheel and feel the steady vibration of turning gears as the millstones grind wheat into flour. Children enjoy hands-on activities like flour sifting and pumping water over a miniature waterwheel. On milling days Anselma also offers related demonstrations, ranging from wheat-weaving to ice-cream making, all celebrating the rich industrial and agricultural heritage of the region.

In 2005, the Mill at Anselma was licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to sell its stone-ground flour and cornmeal, all milled at the National Historic Landmark. Its flour has gained local popularity and received rave reviews from Philadelphia Magazine’s culinary section. This year, the Mill expanded its product line to include flour milled from organic grains. Flour may be purchased both through the Mill’s gift shop and its gift catalog.

Starting June 4th, the Mill at Anselma will be the home of the Anselma Farmers and Artisans Market, as a joint program with Maysie’s Farm Conservation Center and the Anselma Farmers and Artisans Market Association. The Market will take place every Wednesday from 2 -7pm, bringing fresh local and organic produce and handcrafts to the Chester Springs community.

The Mill is open Saturdays from 10 am-4 pm and Sundays from 1-4 pm from April through August, and Saturdays and Sundays 1-4 pm September through December. Admission on regular weekends is $4 Adults, $3 Seniors, and $2 for children ages 6-17. Members, children under 6, and military personnel visit free!