Hunt, Roger, Mill
Why it's listed
Built in 1759 by Roger Hunt, this two-story stone grist mill in Downingtown, Chester County, Pennsylvania, has a gambrel shingled roof and a one-story frame addition on its north side. It is the only surviving 18th century mill complex in the Downingtown valley, a remnant of the period when so many mills operated locally that the growing village was called Milltown. Primary documentation shows the mill continued as a grist mill into the twentieth century. Its walls were used as a reference point in Penn patents and road docket surveys in both Chester and Lancaster Counties. The complex also includes a main stone house with a stucco finish, a carriage house, a tenant house from about 1850, and a millers house. Roger Hunt served as a supplies coordinator during the French and Indian War and sat in the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Samuel Ringwalt, who bought the complex in 1846, helped lead the push to incorporate Downingtown Borough.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the mill complex is the only surviving 18th century mill complex in the Downingtown valley and the only survivor from the era when many mills in the area gave the village its name Milltown. It was used as a reference point in Penn patents and road docket surveys in Chester and Lancaster Counties. Its proprietors were involved in community affairs, including Roger Hunt's service in the French and Indian War and in the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly, and Samuel Ringwalt's role in incorporating Downingtown Borough and in Civil War recruitment.
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 80003457, listed January 4, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Race St., Downingtown |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | January 4, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003457 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Roger Hunt (builder of the mill, as stated in the statement of significance) |
| Architectural style | Gambrel roof (Swedish gambrel shingled roof; no formal style named) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The mill has deteriorated rapidly, with its stone chimney and frame addition lost; the millers house is in very poor condition. |
| Acreage | 6.4 |
| Coordinates | 40.00840, -75.71119 (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 80003457.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7358370
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.