National Register of Historic Places

Potomac Mills

Shepardstown, Jefferson County, West Virginia
Listed
February 5, 2014
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
13001166

About this property

The Potomac Mills was a mill complex located along the Potomac River roughly .5 miles (0.80 km) downriver of Shepherdstown. Built in 1826, the complex was originally used as a gristmill. In 1829, the mill began producing cement for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal's construction. The factory continued to produce cement after the canal opened, and it shipped its product along the canal to other cities. Flooding and drought conditions in the 1880s led the mill to reduce its operations, and by 1901 the mill closed permanently. The remaining buildings from the mill occupy an 18-acre (7.3 ha) site and are mostly in ruins. The buildings include the main mill building, several lime kilns, a headrace wall, and an office building. The stone foundation of the mill's dam, which extends across the river into Washington County, Maryland, is also still part of the site. The mill site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 5, 2014.

Location

Shepardstown, Jefferson County, West Virginia
39.42966, -77.78047

Categories

INDUSTRYHISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINAL
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Shepherd's Mill
Colonial
1.1 mi
Rumsey Hall
Early Republic
1.2 mi
Shepherdstown Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Colonial
1.4 mi
Shepherdstown Historic District
Listed
1.4 mi
Van Swearingen-Shepherd House
Colonial
1.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Potomac Mills listed on the National Register?

Potomac Mills was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 5, 2014.

What type of historic resource is Potomac Mills?

Potomac Mills is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Potomac Mills?

The period of significance for Potomac Mills is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Potomac Mills?

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