Harleysville, Towamencin Twp.,
North Penn School District
3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bathroom - $569,000
Harleysville, Towamencin Twp.,
North Penn School District
3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bathroom - $569,000
Fabulous! This unique Historic stone Mill house circa 1714 converted to this
incredible residence lends itself to CONTEMPARY OR TRADITIONAL design
nestled 3 picturesque acres on a country rd in Towamencin. Dramatic 2 sty entry
w/ leaded stained glass window & exposed stone wall, Formal Din rm opens to the
Great rm & is accented w/ 9 + ft ceilings, deep wind sills, Wood burning stove, random
width wood flrs, beautiful mill work & trim (T/O), open beams & 2 sets of French drs to 2
sep decks & tranquil views. Updated Kit w/ Center Island, marble counters, wood flrs, brkfst
area, deep sills, exposed stonewalls & brkfst bar. Main Bedrm features w/i closet, a lux tile ba
w/ new custom designed granite top vanity w/ designer sinks, 2 add'l bright airy bdrms all w/ 9/10 ft ceilings. New
wood flrs in all bdrms, bright & open walk up 3rd flr offers approx 1,800 ft, floored & ready to finish if extra space
is needed, w/o bsmnt, rubber roof on deck & roof, oversized 2 car gar. Seller able to accommodate quick settlement.
A History of "Provence"
The next we know is that the mill property went to Lawrence Hendricks by
will in 1753. He died that year, apparently, and the property was devised to Cornelius,
Henry, Yanniker, and Benjamin Hendricks. The parties agreed that the mill would belong
to Benjamin. There was a mill race where water was diverted to the mill from Skippack
Creek, and it is said that the mill race went through to the bottom of the mill. History
books record seven mills on Skippack Creek with only this mill and the one in Evansburg
State Park, surviving. It is believed that the majority of the mills located on Skippack,
Creek were gunpowder mills, which blew up with some frequency.
During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington camped in the
Skippack Creek valley on his way to Valley Forge. He had with him a wounded general,
General Mercer, who is buried in the Mennonite Cemetery at Sumneytown Pike and Old
Forty Fort Road. General Washington provisioned his troops and horses through
acquisition of basic supplies from the mill. During his stay in the valley, his troops
captured a Tory Spy, who was hung in the back yard of the mill. It is written that many
locals turned out and that Washington’s men formed a circle on horseback to screen
the grizzly hanging from the townspeople.
In the 1960’s, the ceased being a mill and became a gentleman’s after hours
club. There are residents in the area who still remember this club as well as many people
who came to the mill with their fathers, uncles, and grandfathers when they were children.
The mill was vacant for about five years before it was purchased in 1975. Since 1975, the
old structure has been converted into an elegant home. The mill was sold to its current
owners in 1990, who have continued the conversion efforts.
The mill has been used by a California writer as a backdrop to a teenage
mystery novel, and has appeared in articles written by the local newspapers. In
October of 2006, it was featured on the Towamencin Township Historical Society
tour of historical properties in the township.
This property was part of the original William Penn land grant. It may have passed
through several hands before being purchased in 1711 by a family who conveyed the
land with the mill to their son in 1714. The records have not been fully studied, but it
appears that the following depicts the basic history of this Towamencin Township mill
property.
