It took more than 20 years of reconstructing mill races, landscaping grounds and repairing roofs, and now the Aldie Mill is entering another chapter of its existence.
In 1981, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation took over operations at the run-down mill, which was completed in 1809. The foundation spent the next 23 years fixing up the mill to make it what it is today — the only operating mill in Virginia powered by twin overshot wheels. Most mills wheels turn from water running underneath them; in Aldie, the water source comes from above, hence "overshot."
Now, the foundation is ready to hand over the reins.
"It's time now," said mill manager Brenda Branscome. "They've done their job."
The foundation's main goal is encourage the preservation of open space; running a mill doesn't fit that job description, so the organization began discussions with the county to transfer ownership when the mill was functioning well enough to begin grinding demonstrations last year.
Now that it's back in working shape, the Aldie Mill offers weekend guided tours and functions as a site for private gatherings in addition to hosting an annual art show and sale. While the mill is not currently turning a profit, with its increased visibility as a rare working water-powered mill and under new management, Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) is confident that the mill will be a welcome addition to the county's tourism assets.
"It's a natural fit with the Mt. Zion Church just east of us," said Burton, who lives in an Aldie house built, like the mill, under the direction of town founder Charles Fenton Mercer in the early 1800s. "It fits in with the tourist attractions coming from the east on Route 50."
THE ALDIE MILL wasn't the first Mercer mill in the area. Brothers James and George Mercer built a tub mill on the Little River in the 1760s. The Aldie Mill, however, would become one of the premier spots in Virginia to grind grain.
"It was the highest technology of the day," said Branscome.
The mill used the Oliver Evans system of flour manufacturing, which eliminated manual labor from the process. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson employed the system at their personal mills, and James Monroe used the Aldie Mill to get his grain ground.
While the technology changed over the years, the mill retained much of its original character. When it came into the foundation's possession, however, the mill's best days seemed past.
"It was an absolute enormous mess," said Branscome. "The building was in danger."
Today the mill is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. It's become a destination for educational field trips, open on weekends from April to October. A free grinding demonstration will be held on Oct. 16 as part of the Aldie Harvest Festival.
A VARIETY of repairs and alterations must be made before the county can open the mill under its stewardship in order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to a preliminary report drawn up by county staff.
The preliminary report prices those renovations — which include adding air conditioning and upgrading the electrical system — at $675,000, and then estimates that a further million dollars' worth of work over the next 10 years will be necessary.
This displeases Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling).
"It's a public funding disaster because there's no limit of how much you can sink into it," Delgaudio said.
Currently, county staff is examining just how much of the renovations are really necessary, and will present the board with a new report in September.
Burton is hopeful that the new report's conclusion will help the mill to become county property by proving that renovations won't be as costly as estimated.
"Half that stuff they're pushing to be done doesn't need to be done," he said. Conformance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, for example, is only necessary on the first floor of the mill where visitors gather, he added.
"We will have a better understanding of what the costs are by the time it comes to the board," he said.