Nininger's Mill
Why it's listed
Nininger's Mill is a three-story brick grist mill on Route 674 at the foot of Tinker Mountain, near Daleville in Botetourt County. Peter Nininger built it about 1847 on a site where William Blount was taxed for two mills as early as 1815. The four-course American bond walls rest on a limestone foundation, and an undershot iron wheel remains on the west side. Inside, the cog pit with its iron cog wheel, the millstone, millstone crane and crib, and the gears of the third-floor power shaft survive. The mill operated for decades as a quasi-public utility, with the county setting its rates and requiring it to grind for all who came. Peter farmed the land while his son Caleb worked as the miller. The property stayed in the family until 1904. It became a restaurant in 1968. The nominated 1 1/3 acres also hold a late 19th-century frame house and a garage.
Significance in brief: The mill is presented as a well-preserved example of a mid-19th-century water-powered grist mill, with much of its structural system and milling machinery intact. It reflects the agrarian self-sufficiency of rural Virginia and the long milling tradition in Botetourt County. Its conversion to a restaurant is cited as an example of adaptive use of historic buildings.
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 80004171, listed July 30, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of Daleville, Daleville |
|---|---|
| County | Botetourt County |
| Listed | July 30, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004171 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1847 |
| Architect / builder | unknown (built by Peter Nininger, millwright and owner) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as a restaurant since 1968; refurbished in 1978. The third floor is used for storage. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 37.40174, -79.91841 (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 80004171.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712966
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.