Advance Mills Estate near Charlottesville in Albemarle County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Advance Mills

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 28, 2012

1. Advance Mills Marker

Inscription. Villages such as Advance Mills were once common features of rural Virginia, serving as economic and social centers. Advance Mills grew around a single mill that John Fray constructed in 1833 on the north fork of the Rivanna River. By the twentieth century, Advance Mills had expanded to include facilities to process corn, flour, wool, sumac, and lumber for local farmers. A general store also sold goods to nearby residents. Industrialization, electricity, and the increasing efficiency of automobiles led to the disappearance of Advance Mills, as well as other similar communities around Virginia, in the latter half of the twentieth century.

Erected 2011 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number W-165.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1833.

Location. 38° 10.996′ N, 78° 26.369′ W. Marker is near Charlottesville, Virginia, in Albemarle County. It is in Advance Mills Estate. It is at the intersection of Advance Mills Road (County Route 743) and Frays Mill Road (County Route 641), on

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the left when traveling west on Advance Mills Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1761 Frays Mill Rd, Ruckersville VA 22968, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Piedmont

and in Central Virginia.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

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 the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Earlysville Union Church (approx. 3 miles away); First Buck Mountain Church (approx. 3 miles away); Ruckersville (approx. 5.2 miles away); The Taylor House (approx. 5.3 miles away); Proffit Historic District (approx. 5.4 miles away); Orange County / Greene County (approx. 5.7 miles away); Monacan Indian Village (approx. 5.7 miles away); Rio Mills (approx. 5.7 miles away).

Another marker is no longer nearby. Albemarle County / Greene County (was approx. 2.4 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Advance Mills Rd & Frays Mill Rd image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 28, 2012

2. Advance Mills Rd & Frays Mill Rd

North Fork of the Rivanna River image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 28, 2012

3. North Fork of the Rivanna River

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 29, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,588 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 29, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.