Wheaton in Silver Spring in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Kemp Mill
Photographed by Tom Fuchs, April 29, 2006
1. Kemp Mill Marker
Inscription.
Kemp Mill. . A 1794 map of Maryland indicates a mill at this site owned by Quaker minister and political activist Evan Thomas. Thomas' Mill, leased to Thomas Brown in 1803, was sold to Aaron Dyer in 1816. Francis Valdenar purchased the frame saw and grist mill in 1833. During the 1830 decade a small settlement called Claysville existed near the mill that included a store and tanyard. The name Kemp Mill materialized in 1857 when Valdenar sold to George Kemp. Kemp's family operated the mill until 1905. When the center of milling shifted to the mid-west in the late 1800's many small family mills in Montgomery County like Kemp Mill closed. In 1919 the mill burned. M-NCPPC purchased the site in 1957.
A 1794 map of Maryland indicates a mill at this site owned by Quaker minister and political activist Evan Thomas. Thomas' Mill, leased to Thomas Brown in 1803, was sold to Aaron Dyer in 1816. Francis Valdenar purchased the frame saw and grist mill in 1833. During the 1830 decade a small settlement called Claysville existed near the mill that included a store and tanyard. The name Kemp Mill materialized in 1857 when Valdenar sold to George Kemp. Kemp's family operated the mill until 1905. When the center of milling shifted to the mid-west in the late 1800's many small family mills in Montgomery County like Kemp Mill closed. In 1919 the mill burned. M-NCPPC purchased the site in 1957.
Erected by Montgomery County Department of Park and Planning.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Maryland, Montgomery Parks, and the Quakerism series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1794.
Location. 39° 3.977′ N, 77° 1.657′ W. Marker is in Silver Spring, Maryland, in Montgomery County. It is in Wheaton. It is on Randolph Road east of Kemp Mill Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 930 Randolph Rd, Silver Spring MD 20904, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic. 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.
More about this marker. The acronym M-NCPPC on the inscription stands for The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The marker bears the logo of this commission.
Photographed by Tom Fuchs, April 29, 2006
2. Kemp Mill Was Probably Somewhere Here
Credits. This page was last revised on February 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 3, 2006, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. This page has been viewed 4,105 times since then and 104 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 3, 2006, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
