Great Valley Mill
Also known as: Old Grist Mill in the Great Valley
Why it's listed
Built in 1859 by Joseph F. Jeanes, a local miller and farmer, this four-storied stone grist mill stands in the Great Valley area of Paoli, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Its fieldstone walks are covered with stucco, supported by heavy timbers, and capped by a shingled gable roof. The building follows a Merchant's Mill form based on a design Oliver Evans published in 1795, a type common in southeastern Pennsylvania. Its interior remains notable because much of the milling equipment is still in place, including a turbine dating to about 1900, gearing, hoppers, a crane, a screw hoist, bucket elevators, and French buhrstone millstones. The mill was used to grind commercial flour from 1913 under Richard Haughton, and in the 1940s it was leased to Pepperidge Farm and General Baking Co. as a model commercial mill. The property is significant for its architecture and for its industrial history as a working mill.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the mill is an outstanding example of a mid-19th century commercial "Merchant's Mill" built on a design published by Oliver Evans, typical of southeastern Pennsylvania milling. Its milling machinery, including a turbine, gearing, hoppers, crane, and French buhrstone millstones, is largely intact and operable, and the mill served local and wider commercial markets in the 19th and 20th centuries.
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 83002224, listed September 1, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 72 N. Valley Rd., Tredyffin Township, Paoli |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | September 1, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83002224 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1859 |
| Architect / builder | Joseph F. Jeanes (builder) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The mill's machinery is described as intact and mostly operable; the present owner has been restoring the mill to make it operable again. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 40.06613, -75.48979 (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 83002224.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15222075
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.