The Mills:
Founding towns from the waters
Neighborhoods
by Kay Collins Chretien
As you look at the Green Peyton Map of Albemarle published c.1875, you are
impressed with the amount of waterways featured—the Piedmont is well watered
from the mountains and foothills, and from the numerous springs found in the
bedrock lying close to the surface in most places. From the first settlers to
today, the availability of water is considered one of Albemarle's assets.
Early settlers made extensive use of this
resource, and built mills wherever river and stream velocity was promising, and
where it wasn't, dammed the feature and built artificial mill races to create
the energy they needed.
Consulting the Peyton Map printed index, you find a listing for fifty-nine mills
as such. Presumably, these were actually "Advance Mills" located by Major Moses
Green Peyton between the years of 1854 to 1861, and 1865 to 1867, when he
traveled around the county gathering data and making surveys.
A modern study of mills in Albemarle was completed by Christopher L. McLean for the Corcoran Department of History—"Grist Milling in Albemarle County." His listing of mills as an appendix counts seventy-three, and features all he could find documentation for, • . whether currently visible or historical.
The earliest mills were built by plantation owners as part of their industry. Consequentially, they have their owners names; such as Carter's Mill, Harris' Mill, Walker's Mill, etc. Others were given descriptive names of their locations (Crozet, Hatton Grange, etc.), function (Hydraulic), or history (Burnt).
Advance Mills, located on the North Fork of the Rivanna just downstream of where two of its main tributaries, the Lynch River and Swift Run have joined, is one of the mills whose remains can be easily seen today. Busy Route 743 crosses over the river just above the still existing dam, and from the physical features still there you can get a sense of the complex itself.
Advance Mills started out as Frey's (pronounced Fray, also spelled with an "a") Mill. Without getting into genealogical research, available general sources are scarce about the Freys/Frays. Local historian Edgar Woods mentions three Frays— James, John and John, Jr. as sons-in-law under the family headings of "Barksdale," "Irvin," and "Gooch."
It's difficult from these references to sort out the relationship between James and John.
The family story, as reported in a 1959 news article, is that the Frays came to Albemarle from Madison County, and that a John, or Johannes, had immigrated originally from Switzerland in 1764. At any rate, some of the family eventually moved west into Albemarle.
The mill site originally started out as part of an approximately 7,000 acre tract patented by Charles Webb of Charles City in 1737—today's Frey's Mountain on Route 604 was originally known as Webb's Mountain. A portion of that tract along the North Fork of the Rivanna was sold by the Webb family to Isaac Davis in 1769. How it came to the Freys is not clear, (probably through family connections, as Davis' descendants had married into the families mentioned above), but the family story says that the mill was built around 1833.
As typical of other mill complexes in Albemarle, it became a trading complex with a store and several other buildings, as well as homes belonging to the Freys and their family members. Holly Tree Farm, across the river from the mill, was built around 1790, and served for a time as a school.
Unlike many of the Albemarle mills, Frey's Mill lasted until it burned in 1948 -- a victim of progress. A diesel engine had been installed for supplementary power in more modern times, and caught on fire.
Such mill complexes represented a complete manufacturing process in the earliest days, from raw agricultural material to finished product, As such, the process incorporated the latest in automation for the day, thanks to the improvements to the process made by Oliver Evans of Philadelphia, in 1790. They were, consequentially, very expensive to build, and only the largest and wealthiest plantation owners could at first afford to build them.
As time went on, the demand for such facilities increased due to the change of agriculture in die area from tobacco to grains, which grew better in this soil, and with less expense. Mill ownership later became one of the most common forms of collective entrepreneurship. The wealthier middle class could invest their money without the need to own land and slaves.
The 1840 census showed Albemarle fifth in Virginia counties in wheat production, third in corn. Increased demand in European markets—while Russia was involved in the Crimean War, it made no grain or flour exports to the rest of Europe—the growth of the horse and livestock breeding industries in the county and other such stimuli increased the building of mills. In addition, the water power could provide energy off of the main wheel for other enterprises such as sawing wood and carding wool. Those mills providing multiple services were called "merchant mills."
The social and political aspects of these mills were important as well. It was the truly (such local social gathering spot (outside of church and court function) for neighbors to catch up with each other and talk over the issues of the day.
This gathering encouraged other businesses to
locate around the complex. You would find services such as blacksmith shops;
repair shops for harnesses, wagons and farm machinery; as well as mercantile
stores. These became the nucleus of many small rural communities.
The name change to Advance Mills came either late in the last century, or early
in this one—it is still listed as Frey's Mill on the Peyton map—general sources
do not remark on the reason or when.
Although today's hamlet is quiet with private residences, as you cross the bridge you can imagine the impressive multistory building with its great wheel, and the bustling scene around it.
page last updated:
April 22, 2007
