Franklin Township near Dillsburg in York County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Clear Spring Mill
2 Meadowview Drive
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places series list.
Location. 40° 3.423′ N, 77° 3.867′ W. Marker is near Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, in York County. It is in Franklin Township. Marker is at the intersection of Capitol Hill Road and Clear Spring Road, on the right when traveling south on Capitol Hill Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 Meadowview Drive, Dillsburg PA 17019, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Franklintown (approx. 2.2 miles away); War Memorial (approx. 3.8 miles away); John Wesley Dahr (approx. 4 miles away); Dillsburg (approx. 4 miles away); Rev. A.B. Quay House (approx. 4.1 miles away); Quay Park (approx. 4.1 miles away); Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's Southern Cavalry (approx. 4.3 miles away); Dills – Eichelberger Tavern (approx. 4.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dillsburg.
Also see . . . National Register Nomination Form
this page online
This form was prepared by Kevin Hodge, a Preservation Specialist with Historic York, Inc. in 1996. A description for the mill can be found on page 9:
The Clear Spring Mill is significant under Criterion A for agriculture, as a processing facility that assisted in the growth of cash crop agriculture in York County. The mill is also significant under Criterion C as an example of unaltered Second Empire style architecture applied to the last remaining grist mill in Franklin Township.(Submitted on October 24, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
The key to the development of this site was the water source, which when harnessed, was sufficient to power all of the processing activities. The water source was a tributary of the Bermudian Creek, which was diverted to the mill site. Because of the lay of the land, there was sufficient fall to allow for the two turbines and the overshot wheel. The mills were connected to the creek by way of a stone race which ran parallel with the Clear Springs Road. The complex was separated from its water source by the construction of State Route 15 and only minor remnants of the mill race remain.
Milling played an instrumental role in the development of rural agrarian communities such as Clear Spring. As was typical, once the. mill prospered, it was surrounded by a small community. These communities would usually be made up of people that were tied to the mill througheither employment or as suppliers of the raw materials. In the case of Clear Spring, there was also a bond of familial relationship which remained until the mill was sold to the current owners in 1994. The remainder of the residences are still owned by descendants of Edward and Elizabeth Dick, who were the builders of the current mill.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 24, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 3, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 247 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 3, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
