Near Edom in Rockingham County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Breneman-Turner Mill
Survivor of The Burning
— 1864 Valley Campaign —
George Shaver, the 70-year-old miller, lived in the house to your left. He was seriously ill, so his 77-year old Wife, Hannah, pleaded with the soldiers not to burn the mill. Sympathetic but following orders, they set the fire and then left; Mrs. Shaver quickly beat out the fire with a broom. Later, when embers from a burning barn set the mill on fire again, she blew a horn to summon help. Jacob Wenger, a farmer who lived over the hill behind you, raced over and extinguished the fire. Today, this mill is the only surviving antebellum grist mill in Rockingham County with its original equipment, including three sets of French burr grind stones.
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Abraham Breneman settled here in 1770 and built the mill about 1800. The mill ground corn meal, hominy, and grain, and produced high-quality flour that was sent to the Alexandria and Baltimore harbors for export. The Breneman family operated the mill until 1849, when Shaver bought it. J. Howard Turner bought the mill in 1933 and operated it until his death in 1988. As late as 1973, it still produced 500 pounds of flour weekly. Turner’s children donated the mill to the Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center in 2003. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.
Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1908.
Location. 38° 31.508′ N, 78° 52.519′ W. Marker is near Edom, Virginia, in Rockingham County. Marker is at the intersection of Turners Mill Lane and Breneman Church Road (Virginia Route 778), on the right on Turners Mill Lane. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5036 Turners Mill Lane, Harrisonburg VA 22802, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Dr. Jessee Bennett (approx. ¾ mile away); Edom United Methodist Church (approx. 0.8 miles away); George Chrisman House (approx. 1.4 miles away); Mannheim (approx. 2.2 miles away); Old Salem Church (approx. 2.8 miles away); Joseph Funk (approx. 2.9 miles away); Baxter House (approx. 3 miles away); Lincoln's Virginia Ancestors (approx. 3.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Edom.
More about this marker. On the left is a photo of the mill in operation with the caption, "Breneman-Turner Mill, ca. 1930" – Courtesy Elma Collins
On the right is a sketch with the caption, "The Burning, Alfred R. Waud sketch, 1864" Courtesy Library of Congress
On the upper right is a photo of "Gen. Philip H. Sheridan" Courtesy Library of Congress
On the lower right is a map of the Valley with the caption, "Arrows depict Federal movement conducting systematic destruction, September 26 through October 8, 1864."
Also see . . .
1. Breneman-Turner Mill. Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center (Submitted on December 28, 2010.)
2. Breneman-Turner Mill. National Register of Historic Places (Submitted on December 28, 2010.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 13, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 28, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,472 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on December 28, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.