Sandidges Mill

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:19:14 +0000

Amherst County contains 100s of historic structures. Many of these buildings point to a by-gone lifestyle. A perfect example is a mill. Once a necessity (for sawing lumber or processing grains), these businesses (and ruins thereof) were usually surrounded by a small community because it became an important location for trade, exchange, and the processing of goods.

This week’s historic feature is the 1810s [corrected date, see comment below] Sandidges Mill, located in the eponymous town (west of Amherst, off Route 60). This small community once had a church, post office, and store.

Today the building lies in ruins, but you can still read the advertisement for “feed” and “flour” if you look carefully. They ground corn and flour for local farmers.

The photo below shows a mill race that once brought water to power the mill.

The mill closed in 1942 and the usable equipment was taken to Brightwell’s Mill. If you visit the Amherst County Museum & Historical Society you can view an old pamphlet that illustrates milling equipment from Sandidges Mill.

Hartman's Milling Company

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 03:19:42 +0000

This post is a plea for information - to see if anyone knows historic details about the Albemarle Roller Mill (used by the Hartman Mill), located on a tributary of Moore’s Creek. The mill was used to process either lumber or flour. Today the site is located somewhere near Hartman’s Mill Road (between Ridge and Avon St). The drawing at the right comes from the 1907 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map and the complete image includes about half-a-dozen associated outbuilding. The Scottsville Road indicated on the map is probably located near today’s Avon Street which once connected to it.

The 1875 Peyton map illustrates Hartman’s Mill at a horseshoe bend in Moore’s Creek, one mile southwest of the courthouse. Old mills needed a source of power - the mill race, powered by gravity. Hartman’s Mill ran at 100 revolutions per minute, using water from a tributary of Moore’s Creek. The “head race” (labelled here “Mill Race”) carried water from the dam to the mill site. The water wheel (at the mill) produced electricity. The “tail race” returned the water to the stream. The site would have also included millstones (circular features that were used to grind flours). Most mills also included the home of the miller.

If anyone knows the location of the mill or has any additional historic documentation about it, please post a comment.

Mills on LoCoHistory

Sandidges Mill

Hartman's Milling Company