Potomac Mills
Potomac Mills is a factory in Jefferson County that began in 1826 as a grain mill and later shifted to cement production. The 18-acre site contains ruins of mill buildings, lime kilns, a headrace wall directing water to the mill, office structures, and the remains of a dam that once spanned the river.
Founded in 1826 as a grain mill, the site shifted to cement making in the late 1820s using limestone from nearby quarries. Operations were disrupted by Civil War burning in 1861 and repeated floods in the 1880s, and production ceased around 1900 when Portland cement replaced natural varieties.
The name Potomac Mills reflects its origin as a working mill powered by the river. Today visitors walk through ruins that speak to how local industry shaped daily life and built the region's infrastructure.
The site is accessible on foot and visitors can walk among the ruins and structural remains while reading informational signs explaining the mill's history. The open landscape makes it straightforward to explore the different areas and see the various buildings and dam foundations.
The site witnessed Civil War action when Union troops burned it in 1861 and soldiers crossed the river here during the 1862 Battle of Shepherdstown. The cement produced here was used in major infrastructure projects like dams and bridges that shaped the nation's development.
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