1833 Grist Mill 1769 Site - Danville, Virginia

Joshua Worsham's 1769 Mill Site

In 1761, Joshua Worsham began buying land on the north side of Dan River, across from where the Town of Danville was laid out in 1793, In 1769, two years before he died, he built a water-powered grist mill on the bank of the river. When he died in 1771, he dived his 437-acre tract between sons Thomas Worsham, who received the upper half with the grist mill, and William Worsham who received the lower part with the home place and graveyard.

This 1833 engraving of the water-powered grist mill on Dan River is an 1885 advertisement. The first mill at this site was built in 1769 by Joshua Worsham. His son Thomas Worsham with partner Richard Yarbrough four and a half story brick building in 1833. The dam is misplaced on this drawing.

This is a detail of an actual photograph of the 1833 mill. My son Bobby Ricketts recently acquired several original photographs from "up north" which were taken in 1888 by a former Civil War prisoner in Danville during the Civil War. The old soldier came back in December of 1888 and took pictures of "Prison No. 3," "Rev. Geo. W. Dame, The Prisoners Friend," and a view "Looking from the left of Prison No. 1." Note the covered conveyor belt between the mill and the smaller building to the right. To the right of this building came be seen a railroad trestle. This track of the Lynchburg and Danville Railroad was completed just 14 years earlier in 1874. On a long wooden fence to the right (not seen here) is a long sign: "Use Carter's Little Liver Pills." Advertising along the railroad was very popular and effective during the late 1800s.

This is an old map showing the Yarbrough Mill and the wing dam.

The water entered the building on the right side from the race. There was a strong flow of water but not much height. Either a turbine or an undershot wheel would have been required to power the machinery. The belt between the buildings is shown. Note the railroad siding for the mill. Apparently, much of the flour and corn meal was shipped out of town by railroad.

A record states that on May 18th, 1894, all these buildings are vacant and owned by Riverside Cotton Mills. To obtain a better water supply, the company closed this mill and built a dam a short distance below. The low dam between the Main and Union Street bridges and the new Dan Valley Mill was completed in 1894. The race on the north side of the dam supplied water for the Dan Valley grist mill and the Number Six Mill, just below the Main Street Bridge.

A note on this 1894 map: "Being built - To be in operation Jan. 1, 1895." The race by the Dan Valley Mills continued under the Main Street Bridge here to supply power for this mill. There were six water turbines to operate this large mill. At top left is North Main Street.