Tyro Mill
Also known as: 062-0028
Why it's listed
Tyro Mill is a multi-story frame grist and flour mill on Highway 56 beside the Tye River in western Nelson County, Virginia. Built in 1846-47 for planter William Massie, it rests on a stone foundation and has an overshot metal waterwheel, six-over-six windows, Dutch doors and a gabled drive-through. A late nineteenth-century addition extends the building. Inside, exposed mortise-and-tenon framing, chamfered posts, two runs of millstones and a heavy wooden husk frame survive, along with steel gears and belt drives from a 1925 overhaul. Massie reportedly decided to build after a quarrel with his brother, who owned another mill, and hired millwright Matthias Law to equip it. Family tradition holds that Massie's enslaved workers built it. A nearby mid-nineteenth-century log dwelling, traditionally the miller's house, is included with the mill. The complex is now vacant, and rot has damaged the south wall and addition.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the mill as a well-preserved antebellum water-powered mill that retains original timber framing, a husk frame, millstones and later 1925 machinery. It was built by planter William Massie, reportedly with enslaved labor, and equipped by millwright Matthias Law. It served the Tyro community into the twentieth century, and also housed the post office for a time.
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 06000749, listed August 30, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | VA 56 (Crabtree Falls Hwy), Tyro |
|---|---|
| County | Nelson County |
| Listed | August 30, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000749 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Millwright Matthias Law of Rockbridge County; built for William Massie, reportedly by his enslaved workers |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current function is vacant/not in use; parts of the structure, especially the south wall and the addition, are deteriorated or partly collapsed. |
| Acreage | 1.7 |
| Coordinates | 37.81813, -79.00533 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 06000749.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7861539
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.