This is a listing of water-powered grist mills in the Pequea Creek watershed in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The watershed includes the Pequea Creek, Eshelman Run, the Little Beaver Creek, Calamus run, and the Big Beaver Creek. The mills are listed in order by water flow.
Pequea Creek
The Pequea Creek is a 49.2-mile-long tributary of the Susquehanna River. It begins in the Welsh Mountains and joins the Susquehanna between the Safe Harbor and Holtwood dams. The creek takes its name from a Shawnee settlement that was located near the mouth of the creek. The name means “dust” or “ashes”.
| Name | AKA | Township | Disposition | First Mill | Coordinates | Water Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello | Salisbury | Site | 1769 | 40.071255, -75.968343 | Pequea Creek | |
| Mount Rock | Salisbury | Storage | 1729 | 40.068101, -75.967890 | Pequea Creek | |
| Mast | Salisbury | Site | 1824 | 40.054037, -75.937958 | South Run | |
| Buena Vista | Wilson’s | Salisbury | Site | 1781 | 40.018701, -75.973793 | Indian Spring Run |
| Buckley’s | Salisbury | Site | 40.017793, -75.992370 | Pequea Creek | ||
| Irwin’s | Salisbury | Site | 1756 | 40.059474, -75.986739 | White Horse Run | |
| White Horse | Stauffer’s | Salisbury | Residence | 1729 | 40.035757, -75.993606 | White Horse Run |
| Keystone | Salisbury | Site | 1781 | 40.021807, -76.004376 | Pequea Creek | |
| Pequea Valley | Salisbury | Site | 39.995422, -76.001613 | Boyd’s Run | ||
| Frantz’s | Salisbury | Site | 1797 | 39.999863, -76.015763 | Boyd’s Run | |
| Millwood | Salisbury | Site | 1801 | 40.020720, -76.018577 | Pequea Creek | |
| Spring Garden | Salisbury | Site | 40.036236, -76.027482 | Richardson’s Run | ||
| New Milltown | Hess’s | Salisbury | Business | 1743 | 40.017807, -76.059880 | Pequea Creek |
| Osceola | Paradise | Residence | 1756 | 40.019131, -76.085505 | Pequea Creek | |
| Evergreen | Eshelman | Paradise | Site | 1803 | 40.011295, -76.105926 | Pequea Creek |
| London Grove | Paradise | Site | 1760 | 39.977957, -76.090459 | London Grove Run | |
| Brackbill’s | Paradise | Site | 39.992468, -76.106716 | Londonland Run | ||
| Lapark | Paradise | Site | 1748 | 40.014099, -76.131533 | Pequea Creek | |
| Paradise | Paradise | Site | 1825 | 40.008443, -76.140024 | Pequea Creek | |
| Herr’s | Lefever’s | Paradise | Business | 1740 | 40.009765, -76.161475 | Pequea Creek |
| Wheatland | West Lampeter | Site | 1720 | 39.995600, -76.203825 | Pequea Creek | |
| Edisonville | Herr | Strasburg | Venue | 1759 | 39.986746, -76.216119 | Pequea Creek |
| Neff’s | Strasburg | Site | 1797 | 39.978512, -76.225377 | Pequea Creek | |
| Lime Valley | West Lampeter | Residence | 1734 | 39.961472, -76.233607 | Pequea Creek | |
| Run Valley | Providence | Site | 1776 | 39.919128, -76.256355 | Huber’s Run | |
| Snyder Hollow | Providence | Site | 1769 | 39.928264, -76.252684 | Huber’s Run | |
| Baumgardner’s | Millvale | Pequea | Storage | 1774 | 39.931370, -76.294332 | Pequea Creek |
| Burnt | Hainey/Hess | Pequea | Residence | 1737 | 39.941303, -76.307143 | Pequea Creek |
| Good’s | Pequea | Site | 1771 | 39.948543, -76.301624 | Good’s Run | |
| Sickman’s | Pequea Roller Mill | Conestoga | Business | 1765 | 39.934910, -76.323865 | Pequea Creek |
| Martic Forge | Martic | Residence | 1770 | 39.915318, -76.312588 | Climber’s Run | |
| Colemanville | Conestoga | Site | 1899 | 39.899179, -76.341794 | Pequea Creek |
Eshelman Run
Eshelman Run is a 4-mile-long tributary of the Pequea Creek in Paradise Township.
| Name | AKA | Township | Disposition | First Mill | Coordinates | Water Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keneagy | Paradise | Site | 1806 | 39.982392, -76.114105 | Eshelman Run | |
| Spring Valley | Ranck’s | Paradise | Site | 1800 | 39.990183, -76.113582 | Eshelman Run |
| London Vale | Eshelman | Paradise | Storage | 1748 | 40.010170, -76.110756 | Eshelman Run |
Little Beaver Creek
The Little Beaver Creek is a 9-mile-long tributary of the Pequea Creek. It originates in Paradise Township and joins the Pequea just below Lime Valley.
| Name | AKA | Township | Disposition | First Mill | Coordinates | Water Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trout’s | Neff’s | Strasburg | Site | 1799 | 39.951629, -76.184377 | Trib. of Little Beaver Creek |
| Sides’ | Fruit Valley | Strasburg | Residence | 1792 | 39.958504, -76.154799 | SB of Little Beaver Creek |
| Musselman’s | Strasburg | Site | 1769 | 39.970142, -76.164988 | Little Beaver Creek |
Map of the Little Beaver Creek
Calamus Run
Calamus Run is a 3.5-mile-long tributary of the Little Beaver Creek that originates in Paradise Township just south of Route 896. It joins the Little Beaver creek in Strasburg Township near Little Beaver Road.
| Name | AKA | Township | Disposition | First Mill | Coordinates | Water Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohrer’s | Highland | Paradise | Farm | 1808 | 39.973173, -76.130407 | Calamus Run |
| Eshleman’s Little Red Mill | Strasburg | Site | 1778 | 39.975411, -76.152106 | Calamus Run | |
| Girvin’s | Strasburg | Site | 1824 | 39.971301, -76.163261 | Calamus Run |
Big Beaver Creek
The Big Beaver Creek is a 9.7-mile-long tributary of the Pequea Creek. The Beaver Valley Pike parallels the creek for part of its length. It flows through Eden and Providence townships and joins the Pequea in Strasburg Township.
| Name | AKA | Township | Disposition | First Mill | Coordinates | Water Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Oak | Eden | Site | 1777 | 39.924698, -76.162898 | Big Beaver Creek | |
| Bassler’s | Eden | Site | 1750 | 39.916231, -76.163692 | Trib. of Big Beaver | |
| Camargo | Rohrer | Eden | Farm | 1825 | 39.915717, -76.171405 | Big Beaver Creek |
| New Providence | Mylin’s | Providence | Site | 1728 | 39.926792, -76.198727 | Big Beaver Creek |
| Krantz’s | Schultz’s | Strasburg | Site | 1731 | 39.941393, -76.220341 | Big Beaver Creek |
| Reynold’s | Green Tree | Strasburg | Site | 1824 | 39.940102, -76.230410 | Big Beaver Creek |
| Beaver | Miller’s | Strasburg | Site | 1796 | 39.936864, -76.237790 | Big Beaver Creek |