McCosh Grist Mill, Historic gristmill in Rock Mills, US
McCosh Grist Mill stands on the sloped bank of Wehadkee Creek, 3.5 stories tall on the stream side and 2.5 on the bank side. Its walls are unfinished stone, with finished stones as quoins, courses of rectangular stones between the doors and cornice, and half millstones forming window and door arches. Two entrances open on the main floor, with a large opening above for hoisting grain to the upper story.
James Eichelburger McCosh built this stone mill in the early 1870s, continuing a family practice that extended back to his grandfather's operations in Pennsylvania. The structure was acquired by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1970 to preserve it as part of the West Point Lake reservoir development.
James Eichelburger McCosh added a cotton gin to the mill site alongside the grist mill, so the complex served both grain and cotton farming. The mill kept grinding until 1958, when operations ceased after nearly nine decades.
The location along Wehadkee Creek allows visitors to view the structure from various angles, particularly from the surrounding banks of the waterway. Access to the mill is straightforward, as it sits in an openly accessible area of the landscape.
The mill features a striking architectural detail where half millstones have been repurposed to form decorative arches above windows and doors. This creative reuse of milling equipment showcases how builders incorporated functional elements into the building's design.
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