Solitude Mill
The Girl had her soccer game in Fluvanna County this weekend. This is a county that my weekly newspaper covers, so I grabbed my camera, and Spicy Cat, and headed out the door. I was in the county for a somber occasion on Thursday–stuck in traffic on the way out–so I spotted an old brick building next to a creek in Palmyra. I thought to myself: Self, that must be an old mill…you should check that out on Saturday.
Lots of vegetation is now growing on the old mill
And for once I listened to myself!
The roof is slate shingles
I think I’ve mentioned before my love of history–and all old buildings. This one is falling apart (sadly) but it has a beautiful history as well. Solitude Mill was operational until the 1940s. The building is brick with a stone foundation. The foundation looks in amazing shape, as do most of the bricks. I would love to see someone come and renovate it to a home or a museum…anything. It’s gorgeous. You could see where nearby Cunningham Creek was diverted into a concrete-poured water way that led the water into the mill. You can still see the outline of the way the water would have left the mill and headed back into the creek, too.
The one side is completely open, exposing the wooden slats for the flooring.
According to the Fluvanna County Historical Society, the mill was in jeopardy during the Civil War. The Union troops headed into Fluvanna in 1865 and considered burning down the mill. However, women–on their knees pleading–convinced them to spare the old mill. Other mills in the county were destroyed by the Union troops.
Below the open wall there's a small cubby where you can see the millstone
In the county’s Palmyra comprehensive plan it is suggested they save this old building and renovate it. I don’t know when the county will actually have the money to do that, but it’s a shame they haven’t yet.
Closer photo of the old millstone
The gears
Inside the old mill (we did not actually go inside though)
A different photo of the old gears
One wall has bricks missing
A really old mill stone, which is actually a bunch of stones with an iron (I guess) ring around them.
Check out the tree growing around this old wheel that was left on site
What a wonderful discovery. There is something (to some of us) about old buildings, their worn surfaces, their materials that beg to be touched by the hand. And the name seems perfect.
Have you ever looked at the gears inside an antique American tall case clock? Fascinating and quite beautiful.
No I haven’t heard of those clocks. I will have to continue to seek out these fun old structures
Thanks for the photos of this old building. Old buildings and their stories are fascinating. Some day, photographs may be all that is left of many of these places that hold our past.
Really good point…and a little sad. We really live in a great area full of history, don’t we?
I love the green! Beats our dirt hills any day and the history on that coast too is unlike we get. Keep taking pics!!
That could be a very cool house if someone had the time and money to renovate it!
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