Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-02
PIERCE MILL MAY
RESUME GRINDING
Government Action Sought in
Favor of Restoration of
Ancient Plant.

Restoration OF PIERCE MIL the anclen
structure in Rock Greek Park. and put
ting 1t in service---on small scale
for the grinding of grain into Germ nea
and -four, has been suggested to Lieut.
Col. u. S. Grant. Sd. director of tn,
Office of public buildings and public
parks of the National Capital
The mill. on the banks OF R0cl
Greek. at the foot of Tilden street hill
is one OF the few relics of old Wash.
ington which are still standing and 81
far as known IL is the only struetur,
Of Its kind which Is In 4 condition to b.
restored with comparatively small ex.
penditure Restoration would make 4
a live museum of the past and furnish
an oddity for city-bred visitors much al
Henry Ford has done in New England
In the opinion of those interested. II
would also he A decided addition te
Rock Greek Park, they contend.
Used As Tea House.
The mill house. OF native blue granite
now Is being used as tea house. being
operated under the Joint welfare and
recreational association of the public
parks bureau. a euasi-public corporation
which controls the concessions on public
grounds and which uses It's profits fol-
the increase of paid reereational fea
lures In the parks. Funds of the asso-
citation were used for the installation OF
modern cooking and refrigeration equip
ment In the building and for the pro
vision OF dining room equipment.
Once One of Several.
Ofiicials of the public parks Office
point out that of several mills once on
Rock Greek, peirce Mill is the only one
still standing. It would be particularly
interesting TO have -four and meal
turned out In the mill and used for
service In the tea house, 1t was felt.
Practically all of the old machinery
Is stored in the mill The grinding
stones are in place, as we'll as some al
the shafts, ana Col Grant said that he
believed the old water wheel from
which the stones obtained their power
could be- located in the vicinity. II
perhaps would require little repairing
The principal cost of placing the mill
again in running condition, 1t was said
would be the restoration Of the mil
race. The dam which provided thf
head of water for turning the great
attraction to people who visit the park
now.
Col. Grant said that an estimate was
made several years ago of the cost oi
restoring the structure TO Its original
condition, and II was found that II
would cost about 81 500, but that thu
office did not at that time have such q
fund with which to begin the work
nor has 1t had the money since. and i
is not thought that Congress woult
authorize such an expenditure FighI
now.
JInnsuai Type Of MIN.
The mill Is described as the under
shot" type. one of the very few In thu
part of the country. This. 1t Is ex,
planned. Is the type where the watei
hits the wheel at the bottom instead al
flowing over the top, as most Of thu
water power type did.
Only small bit of the history of thu
mill Is on file In the Office Of public
buildings and public parks, and thai
was provided by correspondent who
writing to Col. Grant IN the interest o
the restoration reported that 1t wa
obtained from ''the Rambler" the lat'
Harry Shannon. whose articles on thu
early history OF Washington and vicinit,
were formerly feature of The Star
This shows that Isaac PIERCE was |
pioneer of that family In the Distric
of Columbia. and was born IN Chester
County. Pa April ., 1855. He was
son OF Joshua and Ann PIERCE Th'
family was English, and the parents
probably emigrated from England u
Penn's Colony.
Isaac came to what was later 10, be
the District of Columbia about the time
Of the American Revolution. He was
married To BetSey Cloud. daughter 0i
Abncr Cloud, the miller whose mill Il
generally known as Edes mill, because
Is far back as the eldest people car
remember, the old mill was run by q
man named Edes, In 1900, Isaac Pierce
bought $50 acres OF land called Gift.
He gradually bought more land until M
was the owner OF 2.000 acres, ell In one
tract AUDITING on Rock Greek.
Built OF Native Granite.
Isaac peirce built a Sawmill a sprinf
house. house, several barns and tht
present mill. known as PIERCE Mill, ei
native blue granite. The mill. two barns
and spring house are still standing. Or
a stone In the wall OF the spring houss
is cut II. b. r., 1901,
Southwest of the spring house. or
Tiiden street. Is a modern house, home
e. 8, Newman, the latter says. II &C.
c,,nies the site OF reirces house, The
picturesque old home of isaac Peirce
the framing made OF hewn oak. was TORI
down In 1879 by peirce Shoemaker, whc
erected on the site a stone house, Tht
Newman house lis said to be Peiree
Shoemaker's house, remndcled.
In 1890. when Rock Creek Park was
established, the Government condemned
$50 acres of PIERCE Shoemakers land
for inclusion In the park for which II
paid s350.000
The mill turned for the last time a.
late MS 1897. At that time, A, +. White
the last miller. was grinding . load Of
rye for a neighbor, when the main shafl
broke. This correspondent said that
a water mill grinding wheat and corr
In the Capital Of the United states
tlMa