Ivy Mills Historic District

Ivy Mills Historic District is an industrial site in Concord Township with buildings that once formed a working paper mill complex. The grounds contain a mill building, workers' houses, and a mansion that together demonstrate how paper production operated from the late 1700s through the 1800s.

Thomas Willcox founded one of America's oldest paper mills here in 1729, which later supplied paper to the founding government. The site grew over decades as housing and a chapel were added, and it remained in production until 1886.

Saint Mary's Chapel sits within the mansion on the grounds, and its walls have watched over Catholic worship since the 1730s when it first served the local community.

The complex spreads across a large area, so plan to walk around and allow time to see the different buildings. It helps to check ahead if guided tours are available, as they provide better understanding of how the site worked.

The paper made here was so specialized that it was used for actual currency and official money for several countries in North and South America. This role as a currency producer made this mill remarkably important beyond just local business.

Location: Concord Township

GPS coordinates: 39.88610,-75.48720

Latest update: December 14, 2025 15:02