The Locklyn Mill of Locust Grove

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Presented by Caitlin Caum, MUEP ‘21

Thesis

Gristmills like Locklyn’s mill transformed the physical and cultural landscape of Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and the globe. At the

height of wheat production in Virginia, mills played a large part in sustaining social structures, economic power based on ownership of

the land, and community development and eventually, decline. The capitalist-based culture highly relied on the exploitation of land,

natural resources, and people into order to thrust a select few into prominence.

Cochran’s Mill Location (435 East Rio Road)

Locust Grove

Park

Stre

et

Rio R

d E

Meadow Creek

VDHR Listing 002-0064 Cochran’s Mill

Cochran’s Mill : Built 1754

Physical Footprint

Gristmill stood three-stories tall with a footprint of approximately 36 x 50 feet.

Naming

Park Mill (likely named after Penn Park) gave the Park Street its name.

Water

The mill’s wheel relied on Meadow Creek. There was originally a pond located to the west of the property.

Today

The mill no longer survives today after burning down in 1941. However, the stone foundation is still intact. The foundation is now used for a garage-like structure on the site. Image Sources: “Cochran’s Mill, C. 1754, near the University of Virginia.” 2003.

Gilmer, George. 1832.

Lay, K. Edward. 2000. Cochran’s Millhouse: Field Notes. Architecture of Jefferson County; Art and Architecture.

Cochran’s Millhouse

Image Sources: “Cochran’s Mill, C. 1754, near the University of Virginia.” 2003. | Johnston, Frances Benjamin. 1935.

Fun Facts

● According to site visits, a ghost was seen twice on site.

● Someone tried to chase it, but it disappeared.

Construction

● The mill house was built around the same time as the mill in 1754.

● The house is still intact in its original condition, unlike the mill.

● It was built over a spring in the basement floor.

● The stone construction is ~ 24” thick.

Names

● The house is also called Glade Cottage in the VA magazine, VA. Beautiful by Wallace Nutting.

● On the VDHR V-CRIS website, the house is also referred to as Rock House (Historical).

Timeline of Ownership

Lynch Family

In 1752, the Lynch family moves away from Albemarle Co. They own the original land of Pen Park.

1750

John Harvie Jr.

Harvie purchases the land of the greater Pen Park area. Locklyn Mill is built between 1753-1756.

1786

George Gilmer

George Gilmer purchases the Pen Park property in 1777, but purchases the land for the mill in 1786.

Early 1800’s

Richard Sampson

It is unclear when Sampson purchased the mill. However, it is likely after 1800 considering Sampson buys land on the Franklin Plantation in 1804 .

1819

John H. Craven

John H. Craven, owner of the neighborhood Rose Hill, purchases Pen Park and the mill from Sampson.

1852

John Cochran

John Cochran purchases land on Park Street for a mansion. Eventually, he purchases “Park Mill” from Craven to call his own.

Before 1750

The Naming of Locklyn Mill

Cochran’s Mill04● Named after John Cochran who purchases the mill in 1852. ● Mill is mentioned in John Watson’s 1877 deed as an adjacent

property to Hard Bargain’s land.

Park Mill03● Park Street is named after the Park Mill. ● The mill location represents a bend in the roadway where the

northern section becomes Rio Road.

Pen Park Mill02● Originally, the land that the mill was built on was part of

Pen Park Land. ● Gilmer names it Pen Park after the English estate of this friend

John Harmer.

Locklyn Mill01● Mentioned in 1875 Peyton Map of Charlottesville, VA, even after the

renaming by Cochran in 1852. ● Mentioned in 1108 Park Street Landmark Survey as Lock Lynn Mill. ● Origin of this name is still unclear.

Prominent Mills, Prominent People

Mill Name Person (s) Background No. of Years in Operation Reason for Closure

Cochran’s Mill Lynch Family Land Grants from King George, Owner ~ 15 years (~1735-1750) Sold

George Gilmer Physician, Militia Lieutenant, Plantation Owner, Jefferson’s Friend

18 years (1786-1804) Sold

Richard Sampson Agriculture Expert, Businessman 15 years (1804-1819) Sold

John H. Craven Land Owner, Leased Tufton Farm from Jefferson

33 years (1819-1852) Sold

John Cochran Merchant, County Magistrate, Treasurer of Charlottesville Woolen Mills

> 100 years (1852-19xx) Fire

Shadwell Mill Thomas Jefferson US President, Architect, Plantation Owner

93 years (1757-1850) Fire

Sinclair’s Mill George Sinclair Farmer, Real Estate Investor 48 years (~1844-1892) Sold

Prominence in Mapping

Image Source: Cates, Beth Ann, and K. Edward Lay. 1993. Shadwell Mill: Architecture and Archaeology. School of Architecture, University of Virginia.

The Lynch FamilyEarly 1700’s

● Charles Lynch, an Irish immigrant, seeks passage over

the Atlantic. Upon arrival, he becomes an indentured

servant and eventual apprentice to a successful Quaker

Charles Clark. In his success, he receives land grants

from Kings George I and II in Caroline, Goochland,

Louisa, Orange, Albemarle, and Bedford Counties.

● Charles Lynch owns what would eventually become

Pen Park land at the outskirts of Locust Grove. Charles

and his wife, Sarah Clark, own this land until 1752 as

part of the western frontier. However, they move away

to the area of Lynchburg with other Quaker families.

Image Source: Lynch, Charles. Land Grant 10 September 1735. N.p., 1735. Print.

The Lynch Family (cont.)Early 1700’s

● Sarah Lynch Terrell (born 1738), daugher of Charles

Lynch, becomes an anti-slavery leader.

● Charles’ Sons

○ John Lynch - Forms the City of Lynchburg, hence

the namesake.

○ Colonel Charles Lynch (Jr.) - Serves as a key

Revolutionary War Patriot. The term “lyncing” is

thought to have originated with his legislative

law, “Lynch’s Law”, that punished the Tories with

whipping.

George Gilmer & Family

Image Source: Gilmer, George. 1832. “Albemarle Mills.” In Gilmer Family Papers, 1762-1839. Charlottesville, VA: Special Collections, University of Virginia Library.

Image Source: Schulman, Gayle M. 1955. Miscellaneous Papers. University of Virginia - Special Collections.

1907 Map of Charlottesville

Image Source: Massie, Frank. 1907. A New and Historical Map of Albemarle County,

Virginia. Special Collections, University of Virginia.

Cultural Landscape of Locust Grove

Image: Cochran’s Pond

Image Source: Sinclair, George. 1853. Journal of George Sinclair. Charlottesville, VA: Special Collections, University of Virginia.

Cochran’s PondPond located along creek used for skating (generations). Pond moved over time, and accounts say it was a thing of the past by end of John Cochran’s ownership.

~1700-1900

Baptism ContinuesRev. Gibbons baptizes new converts in Cochran’s Pond.

1873

Cochran’s Mill FireMill burns to the ground.

1941

Childhood StoriesNorris Watson shared childhood memories of the mill and pond. He hunted rants in the mill.

1944

Baptizing at Cochran’s MillGeorge Sinclair’s Farm Book – Baptizing at Cochran’s Mill. Sunday, Sept. 11th 1853.

1853

Image Source: Peyton, Green. 1875. A Map of Albemarle County, Virginia. Worley & Bracher.

Case Study: Thomas Jefferson’s Shadwell Mills

Village Importance

“Aside from its economic importance, the mill had a strong role in the social organization of the region. ‘The mill was a club.’ The mill was a ‘social center’ and served as a gathering place for locals, whether or not they were working at the time. People from within the factory village and other neighboring villages gathered at the mill to socialize, usually with the miller himself being the focal point of the activities” (Cates & Lay, 1993).

Regional Importance

Prominent people like Thomas Jefferson had the unique ability to diversify their economic investments. Jefferson and his father owned the Shadwell mill for almost 93 years (1757-1850). These mills were leased and used by many people in the community that needed a place for production.

Image Source: Cates, Beth Ann, and K. Edward Lay. 1993. Shadwell Mill: Architecture and Archaeology. School of Architecture, University of Virginia.

Flour and Grist Mill IndustryGristmill products are a global commodity for Virginia.

Virginia exported a significant amount of wheat and oats starting in 1750 and prominently in the 1790’s. In 1850, Virginia’s piedmont region is the biggest producer of wheat for Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil.

A Ruined Cultural Landscape

Millponds, the cultivated landscape, and infrastructure reshaped the landscape of Virginia’s piedmont area. Millponds like Cochran’s vanish. Railroads and machinery (McCormick Reaper) obliterate small production sites in favor of larger mills.

As the wheat/oat industry changes, more people are needed in different places in the county and in places like Brazil for production. Virginia then becomes a major exporter of slaves.

Industry Decline

By 1925, the industry related to gristmills was on a slight decline in Virginia. Manufacturers reported a $153,173 decrease in industry value. While this is not a particularly significant decline, it is certainly not as robust as the 1800’s Virginia production. By comparison, tobacco production is roughly 7.5 times as large as wheat production ($19,354,387 wheat, $144,609,974 tobacco value output).

Image Source: Paullin, Charles O., John K. Wright, Digital Scholarship Lab, and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. 2013. “Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States.” Dsl.richmond.edu. 2013. https://dsl.richmond.edu/historicalatlas/143/q/.

Image Source: Rood, Daniel. 2014. “Bogs of Death: Slavery, the Brazilian Flour Trade, and the Mystery of the Vanishing Millpond in Antebellum Virginia.” The Journal of American History 101 (1): 19–43. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44285947.

Conclusion

Thank you for watching! For more information, please refer to the following references.

Albemarle County Historic Preservation Committee. 2018. “Rio Mills and Catersburg: Forgotten Stories of the Rivanna.” https://www.albemarle.org/home/showpublisheddocument?id=7955.

Avoca Museum. 2014. “Colonel Charles Lynch.” Avoca Museum. 2014. http://www.avocamuseum.org/lynch.

Bennett, Amy Elizabeth. 1982. The Shadwell Mill Complex: Jefferson’ Manufacturing, Toll Mill and Canal. Charlottesville, VA: Special Collections, University of Virginia Library.

Cates, Beth Ann, and K. Edward Lay. 1993. Shadwell Mill: Architecture and Archaeology. School of Architecture, University of Virginia.

“Cochran’s Mill, C. 1754, near the University of Virginia.” 2003. In Miscellaneous Real Estate Brochures Advertising the Sale of Virginia Properties. Special Collections, University of Virginia Library.

Evans, Doug. 1995. “John Craven.” Jefferson Monticello. Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia. 1995. https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/john-craven. .

“George Gilmer.” 1992. Jefferson Monticello. Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia. 1992. https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/george-gilmer.

Gilmer, George. 1832. “Albemarle Mills.” In Gilmer Family Papers, 1762-1839. Charlottesville, VA: Special Collections, University of Virginia Library.

Historic American Building Survey. 1981. “Locust Grove Kitchen.” National Park Service. 1981. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/master/pnp/habshaer/va/va0000/va0046/data/va0046data.pdf.

Johnston, Frances Benjamin. 1935. Cochran’s Mill House, Charlottesville Vic., Albemarle, County, Virginia. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017889888/.

Lay, K. Edward. 2000a. The Architecture of Jefferson Country : Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia. Charlottesville ; London: University Press Of Virginia, Cop.

Lay, K. Edward. 2000b. Cochran’s Millhouse: Cochran Millhouse. Architecture of Jefferson County; Art and Architecture. https://iiif.lib.virginia.edu/iiif/uva-lib:82261/full/full/0/default.jpg.

Lay, K. Edward. 2000c. Cochran’s Millhouse: Field Notes. Architecture of Jefferson County; Art and Architecture. https://iiif.lib.virginia.edu/iiif/uva-lib:82260/full/full/0/default.jpg.

Lochlyn Hill. 2021. “History.” 2021. https://lochlynhill.com/history/.

Lynch, Charles. 1735. “Land Grant 10 September 1735.” Library of Virginia. Library of Virginia Archives. 1735.

https://lva.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma990007874510205756&context=L&vid=01LVA_INST:01LVA&lang=en&search_scope=MyInstitution&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=LibraryCatalog&query=any.

Massie, Frank. 1907. A New and Historical Map of Albemarle County, Virginia. Special Collections, University of Virginia.

National Organization for Women, Charlottesville Chapter, and Albemarle-Charlottesville Bicentennial Commission. 2014. “Herstory: A History.” Cvillenow.avenue.org. Charlottesville NOW. 2014. https://cvillenow.avenue.org/herstory.html.

Nesbit, Scott. 2004. “The Education of William Gibbons.” Charlottesville, VA: Special Collections, University of Virginia. http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/slavery/Gibbons_William.pdf.

O’Neill, Sheila Mary. 1991. A Custom in the County: The Custom Grist Mill in Albemarle County 1870 to 1910. Charlottesville, VA: Special Collections, University of Virginia Library.

Paullin, Charles O., John K. Wright, Digital Scholarship Lab, and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. 2013. “Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States.” Dsl.richmond.edu. 2013. https://dsl.richmond.edu/historicalatlas/143/q/.

Peterson, Arthur G. 1935. “Flour and Grist Milling in Virginia: A Brief History.” The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 43 (2): 97–108. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4244636.

Peyton, Green. 1875. A Map of Albemarle County, Virginia. Worley & Bracher.

Porter, Henry Alford. 2010. “Rock Hill Estate.” Historic American Landscape Survey. http://weblink.charlottesville.org/Public/0/edoc/793540/2010_Rock%20Hill%20Estate%20HALS_HP.pdf.

“Richard Sampson.” 1867. In Farmer. Charlottesville, VA: Special Collections, University of Virginia Library.

Rood, Daniel. 2014. “Bogs of Death: Slavery, the Brazilian Flour Trade, and the Mystery of the Vanishing Millpond in Antebellum Virginia.” The Journal of American History 101 (1): 19–43. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44285947.

Schulman, Gayle M. 1955. Miscellaneous Papers. Charlottesville, VA: Special Collections, University of Virginia.

Sinclair, George. 1853. Journal of George Sinclair. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia - Special Collections.

State Conservation and Development Commission. 1930. Industrial Virginia: A Brief Industrial Sketch and Fact Sheet. Charlottesville, VA: Special Collections, University of Virginia.

The Albemarle County Historical Society, and Charlottesville's Historic Resource Task Force. 2002. “Historic Charlottesville Tour Book.” Albemarle County Historical Society, Inc. https://www.jmrl.org/ebooks/Historic%20Charlottesville%20Tour%20Bo.PDF.

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https://books.google.com/books?id=XzMTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=cochrans+mill+albemarle&source=bl&ots=aHuZ6n5cUY&sig=ACfU3U3hLGaAg4Djgg5ESLtbBS0vGAAJ4g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjshqbxhYbwAhWqMlkFHWTD

BEEQ6AEwCXoECA0QAw#v=onepage&q=cochrans%20mill%20albemarle&f=false

References