Strode's Mill
Also known as: Etter's Mill
Why it's listed
Strode's Mill is a fieldstone grist mill on Plum Creek in West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania, constructed in 1721 for George Strode by a team of local builders. It has roughly 30 by 58 feet of floor space and originally drew water through an underground millrace from Plum Creek. Over its working life it ground grain, and it also operated at times as a saw mill, with cider presses forming part of the complex. The Strode family owned and operated it until 1857, and it continued grinding grain until the middle of the twentieth century. During the American Revolution it supplied the army at Valley Forge, and General Cornwallis's troops passed it on their way to the Battle of the Brandywine in September 1777, with skirmishing near the mill. The building is regarded as an excellent surviving example of an early Chester County grist mill, with its exterior largely intact despite later changes to the roof and outbuildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the mill ground local grain for more than two centuries, supplying Washington's army at Brandywine and Valley Forge, the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War, and local residents. It also describes the mill as a simple eighteenth-century commercial building that retains much of its exterior form and is an excellent example of an early Chester County grist mill.
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 71000697, listed May 27, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of PA 100, West Chester |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | May 27, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000697 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1721 |
| Architect / builder | Messrs. Carter, Scott and Willis (constructors); John Willis, et al. (builders), built for George Strode |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior largely unchanged apart from a replaced roof and removed outbuildings; used as a residence and gallery |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Strode's Mill Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.92884, -75.61755 (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 71000697.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7624224
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.