Johnson, Nicholas, Mill
Also known as: Schollenberger Mill
Why it's listed
Built in 1861 by Nicholas Johnson, this brick gristmill stands on a rural plot in northeast Colebrookdale Township, New Berlinville, with a brick farmhouse dated 1838, a brick barn built around 1850 and an earlier log-and-stone tenant house. The mill is two and a half stories over a stone basement and was operated by water power, later supplemented by steam. Its interior retains much of its original wooden machinery: two overshot water wheels, a large white oak hurst frame and wooden spur gears, although the millstones themselves have been removed. A cable drive once carried power from the mill to the barn's threshing floor. Johnson's mill replaced an earlier one on the same site, and the complex is valued for its rare combination of brick construction, its surviving water-power system and its value for understanding nineteenth-century grain milling in Berks County.
Significance in brief: The mill is argued to be significant for its brick construction, a rare combination in Berks County mill complexes, and for its largely intact wooden water-power transmission machinery, including two overshot wheels, wooden gearing and a large hurst frame. The complex is also regarded as a rare example of an auxiliary cable drive from mill to barn threshing floor. The building is said to permit accurate interpretation of 1860s milling technology.
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 90001619, listed November 8, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Mill Crest Rd., Colebrookdale Township, New Berlinville |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | November 8, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001619 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1838-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Nicholas Johnson (builder) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The recently installed steel roof and removed millstones are noted; the mill was in use for milling until 1956 and was later used as a woodworking shop on the first floor. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 40.34989, -75.61959 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 90001619.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7025666
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.