Near Snow Hill in Worcester County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Grist Mill, Saw Mill, Dam and Pond
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 19, 2025
1. Grist Mill, Saw Mill, Dam and Pond Marker
Inscription.
Grist Mill, Saw Mill, Dam and Pond. . When The Maryland Iron Company began the Furnace project in the 1820's, they built a dam to hold the waters of Nassawango Creek in a 300 acre pond. There were three gates in the dam. One provided water for a Grist Mill, where villagers and area farmers took wheat and corn to be ground into flour and corn meal. Another provided water for a Saw Mill, where trees were turned into boards for building the entire town of Furnace Town. The third gate let water run into a Millrace to the Waterwheel at the Iron Furnace. In addition to the large pond north of the dam, there were ponds at the Grist Mill and at the Saw Mill., villagers told of swimming and fishing in the North in the summer, and skating and cutting ice in the winter. Beaver were plentiful, and their pelts were used for hats and clothing. One resident of Furnace Town was credited with diving into the pond and capturing a beaver.
When The Maryland Iron Company began the Furnace project in the 1820's, they built a dam to hold the waters of Nassawango Creek in a 300 acre pond. There were three gates in the dam. One provided water for a Grist Mill, where villagers and area farmers took wheat and corn to be ground into flour and corn meal. Another provided water for a Saw Mill, where trees were turned into boards for building the entire town of Furnace Town. The third gate let water run into a Millrace to the Waterwheel at the Iron Furnace. In addition to the large pond north of the dam, there were ponds at the Grist Mill and at the Saw Mill.
villagers told of swimming and fishing in the North in the summer, and skating and cutting ice in the winter. Beaver were plentiful, and their pelts were used for hats and clothing. One resident of Furnace Town was credited with diving into the pond and capturing a beaver.
Marker is near Snow Hill, Maryland, in Worcester County. It is at the intersection of Millville Road and Old Furnace Road, on the left when traveling south on Millville Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5914 Millville Rd, Snow Hill MD 21863, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, on the Delmarva Peninsula, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other markers no longer nearby. Mill Race and Overview (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Hot Blast (was about 300 feet away but has been permanently removed).
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 19, 2025
3. Map of the historical Furnace Town
Credits. This page was last revised on October 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 19, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 49 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on October 19, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
