The Underground Railroad:

The Grist Mill has three secret rooms below the basement floor, two are next to the water turbine. The rooms were used as waiting rooms. Each night when it was dark, the water to the thirty foot waterwheel was shut off. With the water off, the water tunnel was a convenient escape route. There were many Mills along this Timmerman Creek. This Stone Grist Mill supplied recycled water through the tunnel to another Wood Constructed Lumber Mill further downstream. The tunnel is three foot square and about 1,000 feet long. It is constructed of large square boulders on the top and sides that sit on the bedrock. 

View of the first Archway, taken from the Turbine chamber in the sub-basement. The secret room seen through the arch, was used as a short-time waiting area. Water flooded the bottom third of the arch. The area where the lantern is located remained mostly dry. The tunnel begins inside on the left.

View taken in the first waiting room just inside the first arch. View shows two more arches that connect to the tunnel that led to another mill, down-stream. At night when the water was shut off, the tunnel was clear of water and escape was possible in either direction.

EXPLORE THE FOLLOWING LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PHOTOS:

1835 Stone Grist Mill

Additional Elements

Grist Mill History

Miller's House 

Waterside Cottage

Home