Farmar Mill
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| Farmar Mill | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Location: | Fort Washington, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1690 |
| Architect: | Unknown |
| Architectural style(s): | No Style Listed |
| Added to NRHP: | May 19, 1972 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 72001140[1] |
| Governing body: | State |
Farmar Mill (also known as Mather Mill) is a historic building located at the junction of Pennsylvania Route 309 and Pennsylvania Route 73 in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States.
The water-powered gristmill was built around the year 1690 by Edward Farmar. Farmar's father was a British army officer living in Ireland who had purchased a 5,000-acre (20 km²) parcel of land in Pennsylvania from William Penn. This tract contained most of what is present-day Whitemarsh Township. Farmar's father died before he could move his family to America, but his mother brought the family to American in 1685, settling in the area of present-day Fort Washington.
Farmar Mill was the original terminus for Skippack Pike, which was established in 1713. [2] By 1722, a road also existed from Farmar Mill, through the village of Three Tons, to Richard Saunders' ferry, on the Neshaminy Creek (later the village of Bridge Point, now Edison) in Bucks County. [3]
In 1740, Quaker businessman Samuel Morris bought a one-half interest in the mill, and bought the remaining half interest after Farmar's death in 1746. During the period of 1743 and 1748, Morris was building his country mansion "Whitemarsh Estate" (later known as Hope Lodge) a mere stone's throw from Farmar's Mill. [4] After Morris' death in 1770, his brother Joshua sold the mill and four acres of land to Isaac Mather, whose son Joseph built the present mill in 1820. [5]
Farmar Mill is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Today, Farmar Mill is part of a museum and historic site at Hope Lodge operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Due to concerns of structural integrity, the building is not open to the public.
[edit] References
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Evert & Pecks (1884). Retrieved on September 30, 2006.
- ^ History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Evert & Pecks (1884). Retrieved on September 30, 2006.
- ^ Samuel Morris, 1747-1770. Retrieved on September 30, 2006.
- ^ Mather Mill (Farmar's Mill). Retrieved on September 30, 2006.
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