BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Rock Creek Park -- Peirce Mill

DC -- Rock Creek Park -- Peirce Mill:

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[1] PEIRCE_220807_002.JPG	[2] PEIRCE_220807_007.JPG	[3] PEIRCE_220807_011.JPG
[4] PEIRCE_220807_015.JPG	[5] PEIRCE_220807_019.JPG	[6] PEIRCE_220807_024.JPG
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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. PEIRCE_220807_002.JPG: Peirce Still House National Register of Historic Places The Peirce Still House, built between 1796 and 1811, was part of a large plantation owned by Isaac Peirce, a Quaker from Pennsylvania and slave owner, who purchased the property in 1795. Much of the Peirce Estate became part of Rock Creek Park when it was created in 1890. The House is constructed of blue granite quarried from the local area. The House was originally utilized as a distillery, but was converted into a residence in 1924. In 1955, the House was occupied by Sherman Adams, Chief of Staff to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who entertained many political figures at the House, including Sir Winston Churchill. The House is now a private residence.
2. PEIRCE_220807_024.JPG: This is the Hungarian embassy which is the view that the Peirce Mill spy station would have.
3. PEIRCE_220807_039.JPG: Due to an unexpected maintenance issue, Peirce Mill is temporarily CLOSED.
4. PEIRCE_220807_048.JPG: These are the windows that the FBI would have looked out of to spy on the Hungarian embassy across the street.
5. PEIRCE_220807_060.JPG: The Peirce Family Estate The stone mill was an important part of the Peirce family's business. Like most farms of the 1800s, this was also a diversified and constantly evolving operation. The family managed hundreds of acres devoted to fields, pastures, and orchards. A sawmill, a nursery, barns, and bee hives dotted the landscape. The Peirce estate also contained housing for the large family, enslaved people, and tenants who made the business a success. Orchard The Peirce family grew apples and other fruits here. Rock Creek Running water for the mill's operation. Mill A significant part of the Peirce family's agricultural operations, the mill turned grain into flour and meal. Creek Crossing This low-water ford, later replaced by a bridge, provided farmers access to the mill and markets. Carriage Barn One of several barns on the property. You are here. Distillery/Barn (Currently a private residence. Not open to the public.) The Peirce family made fruit brandies and hard apple cider. This building also served as a barn. Spring House Spring water flowing through the basement of this building kept produce and dairy products cold.
6. PEIRCE_220807_065.JPG: "Rock Creek Park"
7. PEIRCE_220807_106.JPG: Peirce Estate Simple, unassuming stone structures stand within a grove of trees and scenic roadways of Rock Creek Park, recounting the different use of the land before it became a park. Where trees now grow once was the Peirce estate, home to the Peirce family for almost 100 years. Here could be found orchards along with fields of corn, wheat, barley, and rye. It was on this spot that the Peirce family managed the land and its resources.
8. PEIRCE_220807_110.JPG: Isaac Peirce In 1794, Isaac Peirce purchased a small piece of property next to Rock Creek known as the "Gift" (150 acres). He began to cultivate the land and embark on his dream. By 1841, Isaac had acquired over 1,200 acres of land, making his estate one of the largest in Washington, DC. Isaac built a mill in the area of Deakins Mill in 1820. The Peirce family wealth grew by processing the grain grown by his neighbors and on his estate, and selling these products in Georgetown and Washington.
9. PEIRCE_220807_113.JPG: Abner Peirce Isaac Peirce died in 1841 at the age of 85. The majority of his vast estate (960 acres) was willed to his son Abner, the oldest of Isaac's nine children. Abner Peirce was a farmer and stonemason. Little is known about Abner, but records indicate that he grew corn, wheat, rye and oats on the estate. Like his father, Abner used the mill to produce flour and meal from grain.
10. PEIRCE_220807_116.JPG: Joshua Pierce [sic] Joshua Pierce inherited 82 acres of the estate in 1823 from his father, Isaac, and transformed the property into a commercial nursery. An avid botanist, Joshua cultivated and sold fruit and ornamental trees, flowers, plants, and shrubs. Many of the plants he grew may have been used to develop the grounds surrounding public buildings in Washington, DC. His home, known as Linnean Hill, is used today as headquarters for Rock Creek Park and is referred to as Klingle Mansion.
11. PEIRCE_220807_118.JPG: Peirce Shoemaker Peirce Shoemaker , the last owner of the estate, inherited the land from his uncle Abner in 1851. Continuing in the family trade, he raised crops on the estate and processed grain at the mill. Congress created Rock Creek Park on September 27, 1890. The legislation identified several tracts of land belonging to Shoemaker as part of the future park. Peirce died in 1891 before the land transaction was completed. A miller rented the mill from the U.S. government and was allowed to continue mill operations until 1897, when the main shaft broke and the mill was abandoned.
12. PEIRCE_220807_121.JPG: The Outbuildings
13. PEIRCE_220807_127.JPG: Wagon Barn The wagon barn was adjacent to the mill and just down Peirce Mill Road, now Tilden Street, from the Peirce family home. Hay and feed wood be stored here. It was one of three barns constructed by Isaac Peirce around 1810. The largest of the three was located up the hill from wagon barn. The third barn was constructed on the south side of the road opposite the wagon barn.
14. PEIRCE_220807_130.JPG: Distillery To enrich and diversity his enterprise, Shoemaker converted the stone barn into a distillery. Processed meal from the mill was used to distill corn whiskey and other types of alcohol.
15. PEIRCE_220807_132.JPG: Springhouse The springhouse is just a short walk down the hill from the main house. Built in 1801, the two-story building used the cool waters of a natural spring to keep perishable foods such as eggs, milk and cheese from spoiling. Near the springhouse was the potato house, which stored other less perishable food.
16. PEIRCE_220807_134.JPG: Slavery The wealthy Peirce family contracted a majority of the estate chores and mill operations to others. The family also used slave labor from the late 1790s until 1862. Property records indicate that throughout the estate's history, four Peirce family members owned over 50 slaves. Unfortunately, little is known about the lives of the slaves or their specific duties. The passing of the District of Columbia Emancipation Act in 1862 finally freed the enslaved people on the estate. Peirce Shoemaker was compensated almost $6,000 by the Federal Government for the loss of his slave labor.
17. PEIRCE_220807_138.JPG: Peirce Mill Construction of Peirce Mill was completed in 1829. Peirce Mill used the innovative, automated grain milling designs of inventor/designer Oliver Evans. These were subsequently adapted to conform to advances in milling technology later in the nineteenth century. In 1897, the main shaft broke, stopping mill operations after 77 years. It remained inoperable until the National Park Service restored the mill in the 1930s.
18. PEIRCE_220807_139.JPG: A New Beginning In the meantime, Peirce Mill was developed into a picturesque place for picnics and the building was converted into a teahouse. Patrons could view the waterfall cascading over the rustic-style dam (1905) while dining on sandwiches, various types of salads, and playing in bridge tournaments. Hattie S. Sewell, an African-American entrepreneur, operated the teahouse in 1920 and increased business by over 200 percent. Racial prejudice and political pressure from a neighbor and descendant of the Peirce family led to the non-renewal of her concession license in 1922. Later operators of the Peirce Mill Teahouse were the Girl Scouts of America and the Welfare and Recreational Association of Public Buildings and Grounds, Inc. A Mill Once More The National Park Service restored the mill with the assistance of the Public Works Administration (PWA) during the mid-1930s. The headrace was repaired to divert the waters of Rock Creek and turn the waterwheel. By 1936, the restoration was complete and the Mill became operational. Visitors could purchase meal and flour ground at the mill.
19. PEIRCE_220807_143.JPG: For generations, the Peirce family worked the land where you now stand. Traces of their efforts can still be seen in the remaining outbuildings that were once part of their estate. In the 18th and 19th century, this land reflected hard work, tenacity and Washington DC's industrial trade. Today, we use the land for contemplation, relaxation, and recreation, forever preserved and protected for future generations. Here you can glimpse a snapshot of America's agricultural past, former industries, and the enduring connections between working people, business activities and the landscape surrounding historic Peirce Mill.
20. PEIRCE_220807_156.JPG: Whole Grains 101
21. PEIRCE_220807_165.JPG: Columbian Mill (Adams Mill) This mill was established before 1800, by Benjamin Stoddert, the first Secretary of the Navy. There were at least two structures on the site, a bone mill and a wheat mill. Nothing is known about the bone mill. In 1825, the newly elected sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams, purchased the wheat mill and paid a miller to operate it. The mills continued in operations as part of the Adams estate until it ceased operations in 1867. The mill fell into ruins shortly after closing. Located on the grounds of the National Zoo, the remains of the mill were completely removed in the 1890s.
22. PEIRCE_220807_168.JPG: Blagden Mill (Argyle Mill) Built before 1850 and purchased by Thomas Blagden in 1853, the mill was actually two mills in one. It was both a flour and fertilizer mill. During its peak year of 1860, the mill produced 4,200 barrels of flour valued at $24,000. Damaged beyond repair during the famous 1889 Johnstown flood, the Blagden Mills' ruins were removed in 1899 during the construction of Beach Drive. Located on the creek approximately one-half mile north of Peirce Mill and just below the present location of Boulder Bridge, remnants of the mill can still be seen.
23. PEIRCE_220807_171.JPG: Lyons Mill Named for owner and miller, Evan Lyons, this mill was located across from the present day Oak Hill Cemetery. It was the earliest mill built along Rock Creek (1780). Operating until 1875, the mill later became a popular spot for barn dances and picnics until the early 1900s. In 1913, the mill collapsed and its ruins were removed for road and trail construction.
24. PEIRCE_220807_175.JPG: Deakins Mill Deakins Mill produced meal and flour. Less complex in design and not as efficient as newer mills, it was torn down in the early 1800s. Peirce Mill (pictured above) may have been built on the old foundations of Deakins Mill.
25. PEIRCE_220807_179.JPG: Patterson Mill Located along the western bank of Rock Creek near present day P Street Bridge, Patterson Mill manufactured writing paper. Built around 1800, the three-story mill employed six men, twelve women, and two boys and at one time was valued was $30,000. Operating until the 1820s, the mill's remains were visible until the late 1860s.
26. PEIRCE_220807_182.JPG: Parrott Mill Briefly operating in the early 1800s, Georgetown merchant Richard Parrott's mill processed cotton and wool into thread. Located at the northeast corner of Q and 27th Streets, the few surviving remnants of the mill walls were removed during the 1920s.
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Wikipedia Description: Rock Creek Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ...

Peirce Mill:

Peirce Mill is a water powered grist mill in Rock Creek Park ( [show location on an interactive map] 38�56'25?N, 77�3'7?W). There were at least eight mills along Rock Creek within what is now Washington D.C., and many more further upstream in Montgomery County, Maryland. Of those eight, only Peirce Mill is still standing.

It was built in the 1820s by Isaac Peirce along with a house, barn, and other buildings. It was later owned by a son, Joshua Peirce, and a nephew Peirce Shoemaker. It became part of Rock Creek Park when the park was created in the 1890s.

The family consistently spelled their name "Peirce" (except for some of Isaac Peirce ancestors who went by Pearce). Others often use "Pierce" but not the family. Evidence includes family gravestones, family bible and estate book from Joshua Peirce, and living descendants who still use the old spelling.

The mill was listed on the National Register on March 24, 1969.

The mill is currently not open for tours because of repair work.
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