Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1911-02-23
HISTORIC MILL BUILT
BY GEO. WASHINGTON
Visited Recently By Geo. Townsend
And Wife OF Audubon At
perryopOlis, PENNSYLVANIA.

Perryopolis, Pennsylvania.
Yesterday was the anniversary Of the
birth of George Washington the first
and foremost citizen of America And
but one other, Abraham Lincoln, is con-
sidered worthy of standing beside him
on the pedestal of honor he occupies in
our history. When Mr. and Mrs. Geo.
Townsend recently visited his people
and birthplace at Perryopolis. Pennsy-
lvania, they had the pleasure of visiting
the old mill built by George Washington
at the beginning of the Revolutionary
War. MIR. Townsend brought with him
as souvenir chip broken from the old
milestone. From Pennsylvania paper
we get the following article which will
be of interest especially to our young
people who are studying history.
THE earliest end most extensive pur-
chase of land in Western Pennsylvania
was made by George Washington then
Col. Washington, in April 1859. For
two years he had entertained the idea
that the land in the region of what is
now Perryopolis, Fayette county, was
quite valuable. So that on the first day
of land Office sales west of the mountains.
Washington received a warrant for
1000 acres of land. A writer il the
Gazette Times says.
It was his purpose to build -four
ing mill on his tract, somewhere ON
a stream that flowed into the Yough-
iogheny river. In ITO he sent Gilbert
Simpson as manager of his property
and to find suitable location for q
mill. Below water fall on small
stream known as Washington run he
first built dwelling house, eight by
ten feet.
Soon the structure of the mill was
begun, but q report having reached
the place that the Indians were moving
in that direction, the work was aban-
doned for a time.
Later work on the mill was resumed
and the mill completed.
The town of Perryopolis, tradition
says, was laid out by George Washing
ton. Its two principal streets are
Liberty and Independence. Each is IS
feet wide. At the center of the town
is Washington's diamond, 100 feet
square. A glass factory was built
soon after the town was laid ont. as
it was found that the sand banks near
by contained excellent qualities for
making flint glass.
The excitment in the country pre-
vious to the Revolutionary War re-
tarded the work on the mill, but was
finally completed in the year 1776.
A letter written to George Washing
tan, September 20. 1776. by Valentine
Crawford, who was then managing
Washiagton's vast estate, says:
Il came over the mountains and
stopped at Simpsons TO see your mill
go for the first time, and l can as
sure you that / think it is the best
mill ever saw. If you remember, you
saw some rocks at the mill seat.
These are as fine milestone grit as any
in America. The millwright told me
that the stone he got for your mill
there are equal to the English burr"
On the 23rd of December, 17s5,
Washington from his Virginia home
on the Potomac. wrote to Thomas
Freeman, his agent at Perryopolis.
IF you should have chance to hire
my mill, or the mill and 100 acres ad-
joining, you may do so. / think it ad-
visable to build good substantial
forebay instead of the old trunk which
now conducts the water to the mill. If
could get 1900 pounds for the mill,
let it 20 for that figure"
This mill, built more than 100 years
ago. stills stands, and is and has been in
constant use all that time The inside
timbers have never been changed and
the great beams are as solid and secure
as the craggy rocks on the hillsides
about the building. It's location is
unique and picturesque. One must
really reach the building before seeing
it. since it is almost under the hill and
concealed among the forests of pine;
laurel and oak. Standing as it does, a
silent monitor to its surroundings, it
tells an eloquent story of the years that
have come and gone since Washington
superintendent it's erection. He has
changed to dust but the old mill con
tinues in its place on earth ID
Many antiquarians and lovers of an
tique buildings have travelled miles to
see this curiosity, bothon account of its
age and the generation for things APP
preaching the sacred.
The building may stand another
century, for Americans have great adj
miration for anything with which
Washington was in anyway connected.
In time the old mill may be owned by
the government