Union Mills Homestead, Union Mills, Maryland

The Union Mills Homestead in Carroll County is one of Maryland’s truly unique historic landmarks.

The Homestead began in 1797 when David and Andrew Shriver purchased a large tract of land along the Big Pipe Creek. The site was perfect for the enterprises that the Shriver brothers hoped to start. The Big Pipe Creek provided an excellent source of water for a mill, the fertile valley was good farmland and the surrounding rolling hills contained heavy stands of black oak which could furnish tanbark for a tannery.

Soon the brothers entered into a contract with Frederick County milwright, John Mong, to construct a set of mills, a grist mill and a saw mill. Jacob Keefer and John Eckert were contract¬ed “to mold and burn a kiln of brick for the grist mill and to be paid one french crown for every thousand brick.” Clay from the banks of the Big Pipe Creek was used for molding the bricks. While the Grist Mill and Saw Mill were under construction, David and Andrew Shriver also started the main part of the house. Henry Kohlstock of York County built a small double house with a connecting center hall and front porch for the labor costs of $86. To these early endeavors, the brothers added a tannery, cooper shop and a blacksmith's shop. Now David and Andrew truly had the beginning of an early industrial park. The growing enterprises soon took the name “Union Mills” because of the partnership of the two brothers and their various businesses. This is the same name that the small settlement that grew around the Homestead took.

The Union Mills Homestead built in 1797 is a museum park now owned by Carroll County, MD. This park contains the Shriver Homestead as well as some of the businesses they owned. On this property is the house, water powered grain-mill, the bark shed (my blacksmith shop) and a tannery.

As a park you get the drop in visitor who comes to run their dog or to picnic on the grounds it is also visited during the school year by a lot of school kids. When demonstrating to this type of spectator you want to make something that you can complete fairly quickly say with in 15 minutes. This usually leaves you with the stand-by such as a leaf; s-hook; screwdriver, nail; etc.

The homestead also has planned events that draw a lot of people. When they have these events you find that you get a different type of spectator who like to stay around longer and a lot of time will drop back in to see what is going on. At these times you can make something larger or take a little more time as they are enjoying not just seeing what you are making but the process that is being used to make it. I would try not to go over 45 minutes.

-- RebStaup - 29 Jan 2008