Existing comment:
Glaze Mill:
This building was a Glaze mill. After graining and sifting, the better grades of black powder were tumbled in large wooden barrels, smoothing powder grains so they would not grind themselves into a dust during shipment along rutted roads. Graphite was introduced in the 1850s to give the powder a high luster. This mill housed six barrels (ten feet long and three feet in diameter). Amounts ranging from 700 to 1,000 pounds could be glazed in each barrel. You can see a model of a similar glaze mill at the Millwright Shop. |