The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-11-16
THE OLD NEWPORT MILL.
a Popular Idea Regarding 1t Exploded
Not RoIIc of the NoiEomen.

a Popular Idea Regarding IL Exploded.
Not Relic OF the Noisomen.
j. p NdcLkGn, IN american Antiquarian.
The quadri.centenary OF the landing
of Columbus at one of the West India
Islands, has caused renewed attention
to be given to what are claimed to be,
with more or less probability, proof OF
the pre-Columbian discovery Of Ameri-
ca. The advocates of the discovery OF
our continent by the Norsemen again
put in evidence the old stone mill at
Newport, and, like many of their pre-
decessors, claim that the building was
erected by Scandinavian immigrants to
this land five hundred years before CO.
lumbus was born. With the question
OF the discovery OF the new world by
Norsemen, do not propose to NEEDLE
at present. My only object is, to show
that, as piece OF testimony in favor
OF such discovery, the old mill Is worth
less.
If the tower was standing when
Rhode Island was first settled it would
have been work OF so great wonder as
to have attracted general attention.
Newport was founded in 1889, and in
none Of the early documents is there
any mention OF the Old Mill. There
was no tradition concerning it among
the people, but it was universally re-
ferred to as a windmill, showing for
what purpose it had been used. 1t is
positively known that the structure
during the eighteenth century served
both for mill and a powder house. 1t
is first distinctly mentioned in the will
Of Governor Benedict Arnold, OF New
port, in which it is called "my stone.
built Windmill" Had it been an
ancient monument DR.. Danforth, in
1880, or Cotton Mather. in l7l2, would
not have failed TO mention it.
The first house in Newport was built
by Nicholas Easton; but he makes no
mention of the old atone mill. In 1868,
Peter Easton wrote. this year we built
the first Windmill" and, in 1875, he
wrote,"a storm blew down our wind
mill"
Benedict Arnold must have been
very popular man in Rhode Island, for
ho was several times governor, the last
time from 1877 to 1875 He came from
Providence to Newport in 1858. Hebuilt
home upon a lot OF sixteen acres, the
eastern part Of which includes the mill.
Governor Arnold died in 1878, aged six
ty-three years. His will is dated De-
cember 20, 1877, in which he says: "My
body desire and appoint to be buried
at ye northeast corner OF parcel OF
ground containing three rods square,
being Of, and lying in, my land, in or
near the line or path from my dwell
inc-house, leading to my stone-built
Windmill, in ye town OF Newport above
mentioned" Edward Pelham, son-in-
law OF Governor Benedict, in his will
dated May q, 174l, in a bequest to his
daughter, HermRoine, mentions: "Also
ono other piece or parcel Of land situat-
ed, lying, and being in Newport afore-
said, containing eight acres or there
abouts, with an old stone windmill
thereon standing, and being and COM
monty called and known by the name
OF the mill field, or upper field" In
1884, Joseph Mumtord, then being
eighty years old, stated that his father
was born in 1859, and always spoke OF
the building as a powder-mill, and he
himself remembered that in his boy
hood, or about 1850, it was used as a
hay-mow.
In the foregoing citations it will be
observed that Governor Arnold does
not call the building an "old" mill, but
my ''stone-built windmill" At the
time that Pelham made his will, the
structure had been standing not less
than sixty-fve years, and hence he very
properly designates it as IAN old stone
windmill"
Besides the documentary testimony
there is the evidence derived from the
mill ITSELF The mortar is composed OF
shells, sand, and gravel. In the year
lS4S, some mortar taken from an old
stone house in Spring street. built by
Henry Bull, in 1859. some from the
tomb OF Governor Arnold, and some
from various other buildings was com.
pared with the mortar OF the old mill
found to be identical in quality and
character.
The poet has very fttingly said Of the
attempt to Norseize the old Newport
mill;
Alas the antiquarian Is DER;
Thouart nn old stone notwithstanding more
Wout0 VA, rido nm railroad that