Breneman-Turner Mill
Also known as: 082-0023
Why it's listed
Built around 1800 for Abraham Breneman, this brick gristmill sits on Linville Creek north of Harrisonburg, Virginia. It rises two and a half stories above a limestone basement, with Flemish bond brick walls and a hand-planed, carved timber interior. A 16-foot water wheel drove three sets of stones, a hominy mill and elevators through belts and gears, and the mill ground grain until 1988. J. H. Turner, who ran it from 1933, kept it operating much as it had been originally. Machinery from several eras survives, including French burr stones, grain elevators, a centrifugal buckwheat cleaner and an outside sack-chain hoist. The mill is considered the oldest surviving, fully equipped, pre-Civil War gristmill in Rockingham County, and it came through the 1864 burning of the Shenandoah Valley. It was listed for its place in the region's flour-milling industry and as a rare brick mill that has kept its integrity for more than two centuries.
Significance in brief: The mill is described as the oldest surviving, fully equipped, pre-Civil War gristmill in Rockingham County and survived the 1864 burning of the Valley. It is significant under Criterion A for industry, representing early mill design and technology, and under Criterion C as a rare brick mill that has kept its integrity for over two hundred years.
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 06000325, listed April 20, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 5036 Turners Mill Ln., Harrisonburg |
|---|---|
| County | Rockingham County |
| Listed | April 20, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000325 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1800 - 1956 |
| Architect / builder | Abraham Breneman |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function listed as vacant/not in use; the mill operated as a gristmill from circa 1800 until 1988. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 38.52530, -78.87504 (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 06000325.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15204532
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.