 
Interior of Peirce Mill
NPS Photo
|
|
Peirce Mill is significant as the last existing mill in the District of Columbia
and the only 19th-century gristmill maintained by the National Park Service
that operates on a full-time basis. It stands as a unique symbol of the
milling industry which flourished along Rock Creek. The mill's owner,
Issac Peirce, left his Quaker parents in Pennsylvania to seek his fortune
in Maryland. After Maryland ceded 10 square miles to form the new Federal
city, Peirce bought 150 acres along Rock Creek. By 1880 Peirce owned 1,200-2,000
acres of the land along Rock Creek, extending from Chevy Chase to the
present National Zoological Park. Peirce built the present mill either
in 1820 or 1829. He died in 1841 leaving his estate, including the mill,
to his fourth child, Abner Cloud Peirce who continued to operate the mill.
|
Exterior of Peirce Mill
NPS Photograph
|
Between 1934 and 1936 Peirce Mill was restored as a Public Works Administration
(PWA) project. The mill was again placed in operation on December 1, 1936,
and ground corn meal and flour for use by government cafeterias. It was
closed again in 1958 because of the lack of trained millwrights and a
decrease in the water volume in the millrace. Since then, it has been
maintained solely as a historic site. Visitors to Peirce Mill today can
see old wooden gears and massive stones. A living museum, the mill represents
part of the 1820s economy of America, an era when men tapped power from
wind and water.
Peirce
Mill is located at 2375 Tilden St., NW. It is open Wedneday through
Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Metro stop: Cleveland Park or Van Ness/UDC
|
