Boshell's Mill

Boshell's Mill
Boshell's Mill in 1973, with the sawmill on the left side of the dam and the gristmill on the right.
Nearest cityTownley, Alabama
Coordinates33°51′17″N 87°26′51″W / 33.85472°N 87.44750°W / 33.85472; -87.44750
Area4 acres (1.6 ha)
Built1885–1903[2]
Built byW. R. Boshell
NRHP reference No.75000329[1]
Added to NRHPMay 30, 1975

Boshell's Mill is the historic site of a gristmill and sawmill on Lost Creek near Townley in rural Walker County, Alabama. The 4-acre (1.6 ha) site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[1] It was recorded by the Historic American Engineering Record as part of the Birmingham District in 1992.[3]

History

Boshell's Mill, one of several mills run by the Boshell family in Walker County, was started by William R. Boshell in 1885. It was initially a steam engine-powered sawmill only, with the creek used to transport logs to the mill. Boshell expanded the mill in 1901 with the addition of a dam built using locally quarried stone. It was completed in 1902. A gristmill was built on the opposite bank of the creek in 1903. Water turbines at each end of the dam supplied power to each mill.[3]

The Boshell family operated the mills until 1963. It was listed on the National Register on May 30, 1975.[1] A fire destroyed the sawmill building in 1976. Another fire destroyed the gristmill in 1986. The stone foundation piers and dam currently remain intact.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "The National Register of Historic Places: Alabama Listings" (PDF). Alabama Historical Commission. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c Shannon, J. Lewis Jr. "Boshell's Mill" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Retrieved June 4, 2022.

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