Kirby's Mill is a historic

grist mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

in Medford,

Burlington County Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Holly.

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

, United States. Originally known as Haines Mill, it was built in 1778 by Isaac Haines and partners along the Southwest Branch of

Rancocas Creek Rancocas Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in southwestern New Jersey in the United States. The creek's main stem is long, with a North Branch of and a South Branch flowing .U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high- ...

. It was the last commercial operating mill in New Jersey.Medford Historical Society
"Kirby's Mill, Medford New Jersey."
Accessed 2011-11-22.

History

18th and 19th centuries

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

was built along the creek, and an adjacent brick house, called the Miller's House, was built about 1785. The grist mill was enlarged to three stories about 1830. A

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

shop and barn were also built during this period. William S. Kirby purchased the mill complex in 1877 and added a fourth floor to the grist mill. The original

water wheel A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with a number of blades or buck ...

was replaced with

water turbine A water turbine is a rotary machine that converts kinetic energy and potential energy of water into mechanical work. Water turbines were developed in the 19th century and were widely used for industrial power prior to electrical grids. Now, th ...

s, which provided more power and were submerged, permitting year-round operation. The mill produced

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeolog ...

buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as '' Fago ...

and

rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe ( Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is ...

flour,

cornmeal Cornmeal is a meal (coarse flour) or a cell membrane ground from dried corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but not as fine as wheat flour can be.Herbst, Sharon, ''Food Lover's Companion'', ...

and chicken feed. The sawmill produced lumber for the mid-Atlantic region into the 20th century.

20th century

Flour production stopped in the 1920s. The gristmill was converted to electrical operation in 1961. Livestock feed was produced until 1969. Kirby's Mill was relatively unaffected by a disastrous storm that struck upstream from the site in Medford, Medford Lakes, and

Shamong Township Shamong Township is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 6,460, a decline of 30 (-0.5%) from the 2010 census count of 6,490, which in turn reflect ...

on July 14, 2004. While the mill, grounds, roadway and surrounding property were inundated under up to 12+ feet of water, the structure remained intact, with little to no noticeable and appreciable damage. Medford Township,

Burlington County Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Holly.

, New Jersey State, and Federal Engineers, and Historic/Preservation Architects performed detailed surveys, and inspections to certify the building as safe, and only receiving "minor, cosmetic, or relatively inconspicuous" damage. Each year, the

Medford Historical Society __NOTOC__ Medford may refer to: *Medford (surname) Places Canada *Medford, Nova Scotia England *Medford Hall, Staffordshire United States *Medford, Indiana *Medford, Maine *Medford, Massachusetts *Medford, Minnesota *Medford, Missouri *M ...

hosts its annual Quilt Show, as well as the annual

Apple Festival Applefest is a yearly village-wide food, entertainment and crafts fair, taking place in several towns in Canada, the United States and England. Canada Brighton, Ontario Brighton, Ontario's Applefest, founded in 1975, is held annually on the last ...

. Highlighting local artisans, crafts-workers, period scenes, and historical memorabilia. Attendance has been growing over the years, with 2012 being approximately 20,000 attendees. Kirby's Mill Apple Festival is one of the most popular festivals in the tri-county area.

Renovations

Recently, historic renovations to the Millers House have been started. These have been started to return the structure to its original, more historically correct design and appearance. Removal of 1930 as well as 1950 additions, the return to timber structural members, glazing, and decorative fixtures, as well as historic renovation of the interior are expected to be completed by 2009. Additionally, construction of a period style carriage house has been started on the Mill's grounds. Kirby's Mill is currently owned by the Medford Historical Society. The mill has been entered in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in the United States. The society is working to restore the mill, which is part of a museum complex that includes a country store,

milliner Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter. Historically, milliners, typically women shopkeepers, produced or imported an inventory of g ...

's shop, print shop,

carpenter shop Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters tra ...

, working

shop and

. The museum is open during special events and on Sunday afternoons in the summer.Medford Historical Society
"Events."
Accessed 2011-11-22.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Industrial buildings completed in 1774 Buildings and structures in Burlington County, New Jersey Grinding mills in New Jersey Museums in Burlington County, New Jersey Mill museums in the United States Medford, New Jersey National Register of Historic Places in Burlington County, New Jersey Grinding mills on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey

History

18th and 19th centuries

20th century

Renovations

See also

References