MILL SITES what: See below for details
where:
Also see Map of Witches Brook Mills
when: Dawn to dusk on walking trails or from road; some never because of private property- see table.
for more information contact: Hollis Heritage Commission (HHC), Trails Committee
The reader is referred to the excellent section in Where the Past has been Preserved, on mills and other businesses in Hollis beginning p. 222 and ff. And to Worcester Mill 022-031 where more information on several mills resides as well as this Federal Hill Bridge over the Mill Stream 035-020.
Many can be seen from the road, many are on private property and not accessible to the public except to be seen from the road. Check before visiting. Some, like Worcester Brothers Mill are on town trails.
These sites are some of the oldest in town. There are no mill buildings standing in Hollis, but the foundations of several mills are still clear and readily found. The Worcester Brothers Mill was listed on the Town’s REPP report some time ago as being one of the special sites in town. These other mills are protected by easements or outright gifts to the Town or private conservation groups with one exception and recognized as important in the industrial history of the town and in its development. There were many sawmills in the early history of Hollis making clapboard siding rather than board and batten not unusual. The mills, which were at one time sawmills, were driven by waterpower, but later, engines powered many. In fact the destruction of some of the mills was caused by power explosion, e.g. Worcester’s mill off Rocky Pond Road. Mills also evolved as far as use from sawmills to planning and other uses. The stonework is remarkable in its use of large pieces likely quarried in the north end of Hollis. All walls and sluiceways were dry laid.
Town Property Old Bridge over the old Mill Stream Federal Hill Road going north from Mill Road. At this location is one of the remaining old stone bridges in town under the town road crossing the stream which flows north supplying a series of mills. Map-Lot 041-063 See B.H.No.53 and 041-062 history. DAR No. 63A Crystalbrook Estates Subdivision - access road from Hayden Road - being developed 2000 encompasses what may be a Native American Indian Site. According to Gary Hume, State Archeologist, the sandy soil, location near water and on heights are three factors which would have made it a likely N A Indian site. Accordingly, the developer has granted the Town easements for further archeological study on the open land within the development including an early cellar hole at the corner of Old Road and 122, the Shedd Mill site, and the two old roads. See the notes on file with the Hollis Heritage Commission and the Planning Board regarding these easements and protected status. (ese2000) Saunders Mill is on private property. On various tributaries of the same stream running from the swampy area to the South of Federal Hill and Plain Road through to Mill Pond (Hayden’s Mill) and Mill Road and beyond, emerging as Witches Spring Brook on Silver Lake Road near Hayden Road there were four mills the sites of which can still be found: Saunders, Bailey’s, Hayden’s and Shedd’s. Bailey Mill, to the NW is under the protection of the Hollis Heritage Commission and will have markings and a trail.. Small wells along the trails are open and caution is advised. Hayden Mill site can be seen from the Mill Road. The sluiceway is to the east of the pond. The surrounding area is private property. The mill owner for a time lived at 70 Hayden Road and accessed the mill from a trail down hill. Many other mills existed, as well, among them were Worcester Brothers, given to the Town, [south of Rocky Pond], Price[off S. Merrimack Rd.], French’s [French Mill Road], Proctor’s [West Hollis St.], and one at the foot of Silver Lake. ese 2001)
Worcester Mill 022-031
Morrill’s Mill was at the junction of the stream from Silver Lake to Dunklee Pond and having burned, was buried under the parking lot of the State Park at the time of its construction. The Mill owner’s house was moved up Silver Lake Road to #183.
Map-Lot 036-027 DAR # 224B Basic text is from the DAR History of Hollis Homes, edited by Deborah E. Lovejoy 1953 with accompanying map (Cudworth). Codes used are initials of editors from this book and from 1999-2000 update editors. See bibliography for full information.
Mr. Powers built this, the first gristmill in this section. It was in operation over a hundred years. Winchol Wright rebuilt the gristmill and added the sawmill. Taylor Dunklee put in a circular saw to replace the original up-and-down saw. The buildings were torn down by the…Pennichuck Water Works Company. (B.H. No. 64) Mr. Frank Burge says that Powers’ Mill was moved from Parker Brook to this place by Winchol Wright.
WITCHES SPRING ROAD - Basic text is from the DAR History of Hollis Homes, edited by Deborah E. Lovejoy 1953 with accompanying map (Cudworth). Codes used are initials of editors from this book and from 1999-2000 update editors. See bibliography for full information. Names given by Bertha Hayden for the mills: Abraham Leaman Jonathan Danforth Hezekiah Kendall Willard Kendall Col. John Mooar Joseph Hardy David Webster King Luke Baldwin Enoch Farley Samuel Ober George Murray William Gilson Granville Patch Henry Robbins Hayden Brothers This (Kendall’s) was a gristmill but it has not been used as such for a good many years. Hayden Brothers used it occasionally to make barrel heads or staves and Norman Howe still sometimes uses it for planing. (1952) The present owners are the Bertha Hayden Heirs. The first mill was on the north branch west of the road. The pond and the clay pit were on the south branch, which was probably the result of digging the canal.
French Mill Road Timothy French Site DAR 320 Basic text is from the DAR History of Hollis Homes, edited by Deborah E. Lovejoy 1953 with accompanying map (Cudworth). Codes used are initials of editors from this book and from 1999-2000 update editors. See bibliography for full information. Warner Read owned the land on which this stone house with a cellar kitchen was built near the mill owned by the Frenches. Probably it was built about 1850, doubtless by Harvey Powers. Timothy French 3rd bought it but never paid, so it fell back into Read hands. Later Jake Bagley lived here but it was then a part of the Wright holdings. In its last years when it was falling to pieces Charlie Hazen occupied it. Lewis Rideout tore down mill and house at the time he built the barn at his place. (B.H., R.R. No.731)
DAR 320 Timothy French 3rd, who had lived on Twiss Lane (78A) and had had a mill there, moved to Flint's Brook. Here he had two mills joined at right angles to each other. His brother Nathaniel probably worked in the mill too. They made shingles, lobster pots, white oak butts, grain winnowing mills, etc. William Worcester, son of Taylor Gilman, worked in the mill for a while. Later when Charles Read, son of Warner Read, owned the property, Ed Mace made cider here. Now the site is owned by Wright Brothers.
Lawrence Mills at Runnell’s Bridge The foundations of the mill which stood on the banks of the Nashua River can be seen from the edge of the road. See history of Runnell’s Bridge for photos and description. |