Boshell's Mill
Boshell's Mill | |
 Boshell's Mill in 1973, with the sawmill on the left side of the dam and the gristmill on the right. | |
   | |
| Nearest city | Townley, Alabama |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°51′17″N 87°26′51″W / 33.85472°N 87.44750°W |
| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1885–1903[2] |
| Built by | W. R. Boshell |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000329[1] |
| Added to NRHP | May 30, 1975 |
Boshell's Mill is the historic site of a gristmill and sawmill on Lost Creek near Townley in rural Walker County, Alabama. The 4-acre (1.6 ha) site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[1] It was recorded by the Historic American Engineering Record as part of the Birmingham District in 1992.[3]
History
Boshell's Mill, one of several mills run by the Boshell family in Walker County, was started by William R. Boshell in 1885. It was initially a steam engine-powered sawmill only, with the creek used to transport logs to the mill. Boshell expanded the mill in 1901 with the addition of a dam built using locally quarried stone. It was completed in 1902. A gristmill was built on the opposite bank of the creek in 1903. Water turbines at each end of the dam supplied power to each mill.[3]
The Boshell family operated the mills until 1963. It was listed on the National Register on May 30, 1975.[1] A fire destroyed the sawmill building in 1976. Another fire destroyed the gristmill in 1986. The stone foundation piers and dam currently remain intact.[3]
References
- ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "The National Register of Historic Places: Alabama Listings" (PDF). Alabama Historical Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 12, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ a b c Shannon, J. Lewis Jr. "Boshell's Mill" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
External links
Media related to Boshell's Mill at Wikimedia Commons
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation, filed under Lost Creek at Alabama Route 124, 1.7 miles South of Route 78, Townley, Walker County, AL:
- HAER No. AL-18, "Boshell's Mill", 6 photos, 1 measured drawing, 6 data pages, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. AL-18-A, "Boshell's Mill, Water Turbine", 3 photos, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. AL-18-B, "Boshell's Mill, Saw Mill", 7 photos, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. AL-18-C, "Boshell's Mill, Grist Mill", 1 photo, 1 photo caption page
