Wye Mill

Wye Mill is a wooden structure powered by a water-driven steel wheel that turns two large grinding stones to produce flour. The wheel sits at the junction where two roads meet and drives the entire milling operation.

The mill was founded in 1682 and ground flour for George Washington's army during the American Revolution. This early operation supplied the Continental forces with grain products shipped from Maryland's Eastern Shore.

The mill demonstrates an automated manufacturing approach developed in the late 1700s that transformed how American industry worked. Visitors can see this early automation still operating in the grinding process today.

The mill building is open to visitors who can walk through and see the machinery and grinding areas inside. It is helpful to plan ahead since demonstrations and tours happen on specific days during certain months.

This is the oldest continuously operating grain mill in the United States, having worked for more than three centuries. Volunteers today keep the building and machinery running so the milling process continues as it did in earlier times.