Thompson Mill
Why it's listed
A gristmill on Seidel's Creek near the village of Gibraltar in Berks County, Pennsylvania, the complex dates its mill to about 1816 and its stone farmhouse and outdoor bakeoven to about 1850. The mill is a banked frame and stone building of 36 by 54 feet with frame additions on the west side, and it was built to work alongside the farm it served. Its interior keeps early milling technology, including a hurst frame with a stone floor, bottle-and-beam tentering with forged bray iron, and wooden pin gear and flat belt transmission. The mill is recorded as operating from the early nineteenth century into the twentieth, with the last miller working there from 1905 to 1950. Its turned posts and moldings are considered unusually refined for a country mill. The complex is one of twelve surviving frame mills identified in a county gristmill survey, and the property is regarded as a clear example of how farm mills functioned in the region.
Significance in brief: The complex is argued to be significant for its association with the county gristmill industry, as a representative example of mills that were part of family farms. The mill retains early interior technology, including a hurst frame, bottle-and-beam tentering and wooden power transmission, and its turned posts and moldings are described as unusual for a country mill. The property is also described as one of twelve surviving frame mills in the county gristmill survey.
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 90001633, listed November 8, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Golf Course Rd. at Seidel Cr., Robeson Township, Gibraltar |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | November 8, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001633 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1829-1939 |
| Architectural style | vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The mill interior is in only fair condition and none of the original millstones remain in place; the present owner has installed a steel overshot water wheel and restored the race. |
| Acreage | 6 |
| Coordinates | 40.27778, -75.86253 (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 90001633.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7795754
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.