Chapman's (Beverley) Mill Stabilization Moving Forward
For over 250 years, the Beverley Mill has stood proudly along Broad Run. Thousands of motorists drive by the 6½-story stone structure every day as it rests in the heart of Thoroughfare Gap. It stands as a symbol of entrepreneurship and industry in early America, as well as the stalwart perseverance of those who kept the mill operating through countless obstacles until 1951. Though the mill suffered another setback after an arsonist's fire destroyed it's interior in October of 1998, plans were made to stabilize the building, create interpretive pathways around the site, convert the stone mill store into an interpretive kiosk highlighting the history of the mill and Thoroughfare Gap, and open the site to the public for all to enjoy.
These plans are moving forward. The Turn The Mill Around Campaign received a $300,000 Enhancement Grant in Virginia through the TEA-21 program (Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century), and has been working towards the stabilization of the building. The implementation of this grant requires much interaction with both the state and the local governments. Every step must be carefully reviewed, documented, and approved by these governing bodies. In February of 2001, the preliminary engineering contract was approved and awarded to William J. Davis, Consulting Engineers, of Richmond, Virginia. Mr. Davis brings a wealth of experience to this project as he has worked on many historic preservation projects throughout the Commonwealth. The decision to stabilize the stone structure will provide an opportunity for the public to enter the building, view the beautiful stonework quarried from the side of the mountain right above the mill, and experience the immensity of the 6½-story structure.
The challenge of creating a structural framework that ties into the walls of the building has been met by Mr. Davis. In April of 2001, the final mounds of twisted metal debris were removed from the interior of the mill. This enabled Mr. Davis to view the cleared, mill interior and start developing the structural engineering plans. The basic design includes the use of tubular steel; lengths of steel, hallow inside, that has a rectangular shape to mimic the wooden beams that were used in the original structure. These beams will connect horizontally with steel rods that run through the stonewalls at existing structural points at each floor level of the building. Miraculously, all but one of these existing steel rods (pins) survived the fire. We hope to find it among the debris. The vertical tubular steel columns will intersect the horizontal ones at structural points creating the look of the original floor levels as the eye travels upward six stories. This steel framework will be topped off by the addition of a roofline, supported by the re-creation of the gable ends and supporting several steel members that will look like roof rafters, giving the impression of where the roof was located. Presently, the stone gable ends of the mill are not complete due to the destructive nature of the fire. The plan includes rebuilding the gable ends with stone still available from the local quarry. This will involve a close association between the steel erectors and the stone masons as they work together from the bottom up, stabilizing the walls and the window and door openings as they move upward. There are a total of 63 existing openings throughout the building.
It is clear to see that this is a unique and sensitive project that depends on excellent design, planning, coordination and teamwork. With these factors in mind, Turn The Mill Around Campaign will soon be looking for bids to hire well-qualified contractors, the next step in the TEA- 21 process. By late fall, Turn The Mill Around Campaign expects to be well on the way with the stabilization process, adding a new chapter to the rich history
A Message From the President . . . Charles H. Seilheimer, Jr.
Historic preservation involves a vast commitment of time, energy and resources to successfully achieve the goals of preservation, interpretation and education. The Beverley Mill project is no exception to the rule. After navigating the bureaucratic waters, Turn The Mill Around Campaign is now moving forward with plans for the stabilization and interpretation of the mill, but this is not a quick process. To ensure the best possible solutions for the design and implementation of the mill stabilization, Turn The Mill Around Campaign is working closely with our engineer, William J. Davis, of Richmond. Bill is a specialist in historic structures, as those who were active in the Aldie Mill project can attest. Stabilization activity should begin by late fall of this year. Let's remember that it took the Chapman and Beverley families a combination of over 200 years of hard work, planning and perseverance to build and maintain a successful milling business. As stewards of this important, historic site, we also must persevere, step by step, to preserve the Beverley Mill site for future generations.
Nathaniel Chapman
(1709 - 1760)
A Maryland and Virginia Gentleman
By Elmer S. Biles
High on the north wall of the Chapman/Beverley Mill is an inscribed stone tablet that gives the names of the Chapman family members from Jonathan,Nathaniel, Pearson, John, George to John who owned and/or operated the mill during the Chapman years. Each in their own way made a contribution to the legacy of this historic site. The original mill site was acquired by Jonathan Chapman in 1737 and a 757 acre nearby tract was purchased by his son Nathaniel in 1743. But, who were the Chapmans and where did they come from?
After some years of researching the Chapman family, I find the three families- Mason, Washington and Chapman have commonalties- political, social and economic. Each of the families came from England in the 17th century, settled in Northern Neck Virginia, were wealthy, had sizable land holdings and were members of the Church of England. They all owned slaves and interacted with one another. In addition, each family would own land in Virginia as well as in Charles County, Maryland. I will briefly focus on one of the more prominent members of the Chapman family--Nathaniel, and some of the contributions he has made.
By the early 18th century there was a growing demand in the colonies for iron products for plows and tools in the expanding tobacco industry and for household appliances. In 1724, Jonathan Chapman was working as a stone mason in the building of an iron furnace for the Principio Co.north of Baltimore. In 1729, Augustine Washington journeyed to England to negotiate with the owners of the Principio Co. for the operation of an iron furnace on his land on Accokeek Creek north of Fredericksburg, Virginia. By 1730 Nathaniel Chapman was listed as a supervisor at the Accokeek furnace. Chapman and Washington would be business associates in the iron business. The iron business is identified by many as the beginning of the American Industrial Revolution. For 25 years Nathaniel Chapman served as the general manager of one of the largest iron works in the colonies. It is the iron business that provides Augustine Washington with the income that would greatly influence the life of his son George.
In 1732 Nathaniel Chapman married Constantia Pearson, daughter of a wealthy and influential merchant in northern Virginia. In 1747 Nathaniel was one of the founders and the first treasurer of the Ohio Company of Virginia. The Ohio Company included 25 of the wealthiest and most prominent men of colonial Maryland and Virginia. Included in the membership were both Lawrence and Augustine Washington, Thomas Cresap, William and George Fairfax and Thomas Lee. In 1749, at the urging of Nathaniel Chapman, the company accepted into membership George Mason IV who succeeded Nathaniel as Treasurer of the company--a position Mason would hold until his death in 1792. The main purpose of the company was to seek major land grants from the Crown for lands west of the Alleghenies into the Ohio valley. The French and Indian War in 1754 and legal disputes over title to the land doomed the Ohio Company to economic failure. The Company was successful, however, in preventing the French from colonizing the west.
In 1750 Nathaniel Chapman purchased a 580 acre tract of land in Charles County, Maryland on the Potomac known as Grimes Ditch. The same year his friend, George Mason, married Ann Eilbeck of Charles County and began building his home across the Potomac from Grimes Ditch, which he called Gunston Hall. During this same period a few miles up river George, the eldest son of Augustine Washington by his second marriage, was rebuilding Mt. Vernon. Nathaniel built a two story house on the river at Grimes Ditch for himself, his wife and their six children. This would evolve into a working plantation with more than 30 slaves, the raising of sheep and hogs and the growing of wheat and Indian corn. An inventory taken of his Charles County plantation following his death revealed he lived a rather comfortable lifestyle. In addition to his being general manager for the Principio Iron Works in both Virginia and Maryland he managed the mill property at Thoroughfare Gap and numerous other properties in Virginia. In addition he owned residential property and a tobacco warehouse in Fredericksburg and was a partner in a gristmill operation in King George County. The Chapman dynasty would hold forth on the Grimes Ditch plantation site for the next 165 years. The Chapman as well as the Mason and Washington families would maintain successful shad and herring fisheries on the Potomac. These fisheries would be the one of their main sources of income. The Chapmans also operated a ferry between their plantation and Hallowing Point on Mason's Neck. During this period the Potomac continued to be the center of commerce and transportation for the early settlers. In March 1760 there is an interesting entry in George Washington's diary. He notes that he and John Carlisle were considering setting up an iron works near Harper's Ferry. Nathaniel Chapman was proposed as a partner and would be asked to go there to assess the potential for such a venture. This partnership would not materialize because later that year tragedy was to strike when Chapman died suddenly near the Principio works in Baltimore. Although his life was cut short at the age of only 51 Nathaniel Chapman had touched the lives of many, had contributed much to the development of our culture and had laid a solid foundation as a legacy for his children.
As we look at the Chapman Plantation site today we can still see the boundary ditches including survey markers dating back prior to 1750 that were there during Nathaniel's residency. The cemetery and other remains of 18th century activities are also still in evidence.
Some other interesting facts about Nathaniel Chapman: He was the executor of both Augustine and Lawrence Washington's estates. His wife's mother was the half sister of Mary Ball Washington--Augustine Washington's second wife. His daughter Lucy, married Samuel Washington the brother of George Washington. The will of his wife Constantia, included a diamond encased mourning ring for her close friend Ann Eilbeck Mason. Nathaniel had many prominent descendants including a grandson, Nathaniel, who became a distinguished Philadelphia surgeon, co-founder and first president of the American Medical Association.
A new Chapman house was built by Pearson Chapman, grandson of Nathaniel Chapman, on the Charles County property in 1840 on a high bluff overlooking the Potomac. This is the house we know today as Mount Aventine. The Chapman plantation in Charles County has been known through the years as Pomonkey, Chapmans Landing and Chapman's Fishing Shore in addition to Grimes Ditch and Mt. Aventine.
(Author's Note: In October 1998 the State of Maryland purchased a 2,250 acre tract in Charles County, called Chapman Forest which includes most of the original Chapman plantation. The author is a board member of the "Friends of Mount Aventine" and is currently serving on a history/cultural work group appointed by the State of Maryland to recommend potential uses and type of management for this historic and environmental treasure. More information on the Chapman property in Charles County and related issues is available at the website, www.chapmanforest.org--Elmer S. Biles)
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