|
Gristmill within the Ehrhart's
Mill Historic District
Photograph from National Register collection
Grain storage building
and gristmill
Photograph from National Register collection
|
Please Note: Unfortunately, portions of Ehrhart's Mill Historic District were destroyed by fire, including the mill itself. We have retained this page as a source of historical information.
Ehrhart's Mill Historic
District lies along Old Mill Road beside the Saucon Creek in
a shallow valley in Lower Saucon Township. A large gristmill
and two houses dominate the center of the district. Ehrhart's
Mill is a survivor of the numerous gristmills that once operated
throughout the Lehigh Valley. Ehrhart's Mill Historic District
contains nine buildings and four structures, which were built
during the 19th century. The buildings include one small barn,
the stone gristmill, and three stone or brick vernacular houses.
The most prominent structure is the bridge, an iron Pratt Truss
structure erected in 1867. The district possesses good integrity,
with few major alterations made to the buildings or structures.
The largest resource in the district, is the gristmill located
between Old Mill Road and the Saucon Creek. The mill building
is a five level, three-story stone edifice, measuring 40 by
55 feet. Milling activity began at this site on Saucon Creek
in the 18th century. The Ehrhart family acquired the property
in the 1850s and built it into one of the largest grist milling
operations in the county by the late 19th century, shipping
grain in from the Midwest and transporting flour to eastern
cities. In addition to the gristmill, the mill complex includes
a barn, scale house, and several houses associated with the
Ehrhart family. The mill retains almost all its 19th-century
power train and equipment. Ehrhart's Mill Historic District is located along Old
Mill Rd. along Saucon Creek less than a half-mile from Hellertown.
|