The Mills at Ephrata

Intro | Ephrata | Milling | Baking and Sawing | Papermaking | Oil and Fulling Mills

Visitors in the 18^th-century mention the various mills operated by the community: grain, saw, paper, oil, and fulling mills all appear in the descriptions of Ephrata. One commenter even adds that, "at the same time they are well versed in the mechanical arts, excelling the best artisans of England, as witness the mechanical works of their various mill, etc." Yet, there is little hard evidence remaining to tell the story. No buildings or equipment survive, nor do any extensive business records. In fact, Ephrata's milling history can only be told in the most general terms, using information about better documented contemporary mills as a basis for analysis.

The story of Ephrata's industrial enterprises begins in 1741 with the purchase of 75 acres of land adjoining the settlement. This property included a grain and saw mill, which, within a few years, was expanded to include a paper mill, oil-mill, and fulling mill. This industrial center was located along the Cocalico Creek, about a half-mile down stream from the community's center. The mill site also served as the market place for the neighborhood, and in difficult times, provided Brothers with a retreat from community disruptions.

The account of the fire which occurred at the mills on December 5, 1747, provides one of the few contemporary descriptions of the industrial complex. Based on this description, it is surmised that all five mills--grain, saw, oil, paper, and fulling--were housed in a large communal structure, likely drawing power of the same centralized drive shaft. While this sounds like it may have been an engineering challenge, the task was not unreasonable. The oil mill built by the Moravins in Bethlehem in the 1750s, for example, also contained a hemp mill, tanbark mill, groat mill, and snuff mill. Different operations required varying amount of power, and many products were manufactured seasonally, leaving portions of the mill idle for periods of time.

Ephrata's grain mill was remodeled by the Brotherhood in 1784, but what changes were made between the new and original mill remains unclear. By the first quarter of the 19^th century the grain mill became a burden on the shrinking German Seventh Day Baptist congregation, who attempted to sell the property. After prolonged efforts, the mill was sold to a private individual in 1858. At that time, the mill still had a saw mill attached, but there is no mention of the oil or fulling mill.

While milling was an important industrial feature of the Ephrata Cloister, little is really known about things such as the details of production, materials, or times of operation. Certainly some records must have been kept as a normal part of doing business, but only one ledger from the grain mill is known to survive, and it remains un-translated from its original German. Perhaps the mills of Ephrata were so common place as to not merit additional attention. Perhaps the abandonment of milling by the German Seventh Day Baptist Church nearly a century before it's own demise can account for some of the mystery. Then too, Conrad Beissel's emphasis on spiritual goals rather than material gains had little time to focus on matters of daily existence. Ephrata was formed as a place that looked the glorious future ahead, not the routine requirements of the present.