Chili Mills Conservation Area
Why it's listed
Along Big Black Creek in southwestern Monroe County, this fifty-acre district preserves the working landscape of a small family milling operation. Its core includes two frame houses from 1825 and 1835, a board and batten barn, an ice house, a mill dam, a metal truss bridge carrying Stuart Road, and a one-story frame grist mill built in 1901 after earlier mills burned. Across the road stands the Sibley-Stuart House, a cobblestone dwelling of about 1835 with a Federal doorway and oval gable window. The area is tied to Joseph Sibley, an early settler and miller who later held several public offices, and to later owners who rebuilt and operated the mills until 1925. A flooded flow site west of Route 33A is included because of its connection to the mill's history. Excavations by the Rochester Museum and Science Center uncovered a log cabin, a saw mill and a cooper shop, with artifacts dated 1825 to 1865. Together these remains document the sequence of milling development.
Significance in brief: The grouped houses, mill, dam, bridge and archeological sites illustrate the scale and relationships of a rural, family milling enterprise in early 19th century Monroe County, an area built largely on flour milling. They show the sequential development of the site begun by settler-miller Joseph Sibley. Well-documented archeological sites also provide a basis for further study of ceramic types in western New York.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 75001198, listed March 12, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1 mi. SW of West Chili off Stuart Rd. along Black Creek, West Chili |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | March 12, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001198 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (early frame house); cobblestone construction with Federal doorway (Sibley-Stuart House) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The form states the 1901 grist mill and two frame houses were being restored by their owners; the district is occupied, with private residences. |
| Acreage | 50 |
| Coordinates | 43.08232, -77.81918 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 75001198.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.