Feagans Mill

Bullskin Run, Jefferson County
Date of Construction: before 1800
Threat: Deterioration; Pests

2017 Update: No updates have been made available to PAWV in 2017.

As of the last update provided to PAWV in 2016, Feagans’ Mill applied for a National Register of Historic Places designation in September/October 2016.  The status of the nomination is currently pending.  The owner of the mill, Daniel Lutz, is in the process of preparing for a timber felling project to clear the close-growing timber, which could threaten the mill in the event of a storm.  His 2017 fundraising plans include sales of Feagans’ Mill flours, meals, etc, at local events; offering mill memorabilia (bolo ties, feed sacks, etc.); and creating a “Friends of the Feagans’ Mill at Wheatland Village” organization.

2014: The original mill at the site was built by the Haines family between 1757 and 1760 and was the first of eight mills built on the South Fork of Bullskin Run prior to 1800. That mill was burnt to the ground by Union forces during the Civil War. It was rebuilt between 1868 and 1870 by Isaac Feagans and operated by the Feagans family until 1937, when it burned again, only to be rebuilt and operated until 1943, when it ceased operation. From 1943-2010, little upkeep had been done of the mill and it fell into a state of disrepair with pests infiltrating much of the building. Acquired by the present owner in 2010, it is the last complete, intact, and operable grist mill in Jefferson County and can be found in a largely agricultural area surrounded by historical houses and farms, all of which predate 1880. The current owner is making strides to rehabilitate the property by removing most of the accumulated refuse from the inside and the overgrowth of brush from the exterior. The owner’s goal is a full restoration of the site with functioning historical mill, creamery, and ancillary businesses for a heritage tourism destination. There has been some difficulty in moving forward with the project, however, primarily related to zoning and engineering regulation concerns. 

Download 2014 Report