National Historic Landmark- Lightfoot Mill

Lightfoot Mill represents an extremely rare archetypal example of a small, eighteenth century custom grain mill with its surviving, completely intact, power transmission system. Surveys suggest that no other custom mills in the United States survive from this period with intact machinery.

The basic technology of this mill dates from the mid-eighteenth century, adapted to make use of several of the automating inventions of the famous American inventor, Oliver Evans, which were appended to the original works.

At Lightfoot one can see the impact of automation on traditional milling. Milling machinery requires constant repair, maintenance and replacement of its moving parts. At Lightfoot, this process has occurred using in-kind materials and in original order and forms.

The milling system functions today much as it did in the mid-eighteenth century.

Courtesy National Park Service National Historical Landmarks