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Aldie Mill Historic Park

The Aldie Gristmill was once the largest factory of its kind in Loudoun County.

Aldie, Virginia

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Ian Hall
Aldie Gristmill   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Lineage of the millers.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Additional portraiture in the miller’s chamber.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Aldie Mill plaque.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Waterwheel.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
The mill store.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Internal gears.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Corn and fresh ground cornmeal from the mill.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Brick granary.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
The grinding stones and the historical crane used to move them for maintenance.   ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
Sign about Aldie Mill.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Sign with information on the Battle of Aldie.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Reservoir above the waterwheel.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Portraits in the miller’s chamber.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Inner workings of the mill.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Big wheel keeps on turning.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Aldie Gristmill.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Exhibit dedicated to former miller James Edwards.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Lower level of the mill race.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Tandem waterwheel.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
The remains of the hopper on the upper floor that fed the corn down to the stones   ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
  ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
  ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
How the mill worked   ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
Aldie Mill Historic Park sign.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Docent demonstrating how the mill works.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Rich in local history, the Aldie Mill Historic Park offers patrons a chance to step into the early 1800s and experience a taste of industrial life and culture from days of yore.

Constructed between 1807-1809, the Gristmill boasts fully functional tandem metal waterwheels and docents demonstrate how grains were (and still are) ground into meal.

In addition to impressive mill demonstrations, visitors can enter the miller's chamber where former president and local legend James Monroe once marked time while having his grain ground while visiting from his nearby estate.

A brick granary that was constructed between 1809-1816 can also be found on the property and the storehouse still vends products from the mill.

The mill was initially operated by Charles Fenton Mercer, who sold it to Captain John Mercer in 1835, after which, six generations of his descendants ran the mill continuously until it closed in 1971. The mill was restored in October 2010, including the twin overshot wheels, and is once again a fully functional Gristmill. Nowadays, visitors can find the mill fully operational, often grinding grain on weekends in the summertime. 

Related Tags

Mills History & Culture Industrial

Know Before You Go

There is a small parking lot in front of the mill. The tour is quick and well worth the time.

Community Contributors

Added By

blimpcaptain

Edited By

Harpnort, ickaimp

Published

June 15, 2021

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