U is for Union Mills Homestead

U is for Union Mills Homestead (click here for map.)

I had to drive a little less than 1 hour in order to reach my first Christmas celebration of the year. However, this was not just an ordinary celebration – it was both a vintage AND an international celebration! More on that in a bit……

As with many of the historical places in Maryland, Union Mills Homestead was no stranger to the American Civil War. In fact, it played host to both the Union and Confederate armies during this conflict. Luckily, the Homestead never faded away

Union Mills Homestead

once “The War Between the States” ended. Today, the estate is very much alive and well, which is due to the remaining family members and volunteers tending to its every need. Is the family who lived on this Homestead of any importance or significance? Oh, yes – without a doubt!

First, I would like to provide a little information on the 279 acre Homestead. The Homestead is located in Westminster, Maryland. The town of Union Mills is actually located a little more than ½ a mile away from the Homestead. Why is the Homestead not located in Union Mills? The only thing I could find alluding to the naming of the town was a short paragraph from this site which reads, 

“[Union Mills Homestead] is an example of one of the earliest beginnings of American industrial enterprises. It is contained in the complex of original buildings surrounding the brick [grist] mill within 100 yards of the homestead, which gave the name of Union Mills to the nearby village.”

The main house on the Homestead is now a museum.

Main House/Museum

It was built by two brothers in 1797 - George Washington was the nation’s president at this time. Originally, this house was a four-room clapboard home. Over time, it expanded to 23 rooms and remained in the family for more than 160 years. 

Shortly after the house was constructed, the brothers built the Grist Mill, which is still in operation today.

Union Mills (Shriver) Grist Mill

Although the Grist Mill and Homestead Museum are well-known as historic sites in the county, the ancillary buildings are what made Union Mills Homestead unique from the many other mill properties in the region. These supplemental buildings include: a saw mill, a cannery (sending canned vegetables as far as Europe), a blacksmith/carpenter shop, and a tannery – historians described this as an early industrial complex. 

The last of the family to occupy the Homestead departed in 1958 leaving three of the remaining family members, along with about 100 volunteers, to operate the main house and the Grist Mill as museums. So, just who is this mysterious family I keep referring to? It is none other than the prominent Shriver family. Brothers David and Andrew Shriver were the founding fathers of this well-preserved venue. Six generations of Shrivers later, visitors will continue to see everything is much the same as when the Homestead was in daily use.

I wanted to visit this place for a couple of reasons. One, the Homestead had a lot of interesting history. But more importantly was the second reason – the annual

Christkindlesmarkt (German Christmas market) was occurring - even though it was a few weeks prior to Thanksgiving. Every year around mid-November, the Homestead opens its doors to the public for one afternoon and hosts this event, which is comprised of vendors, musicians, and German food. This was something I was really looking forward to seeing.

I was hoping to be given a tour of the place as well, but this was “off season” for the complex and there were minimal volunteers working that day. Usually the Homestead is only open May through September with a couple of special events happening in October and November. I discovered there were a few volunteers around who would eagerly provide some historical tidbits, so I was pretty happy. Besides, apple strudel was waiting for me, so a tour was not at the top of my list anyway!

Once I parked, I immediately saw a bridge on the property that was on my “To See” list.

This was a Bollman-design bridge erected in 1879, which spans a narrow portion of the Big Pipe Creek.  The style of the bridge refers to Mr. Wendel Bollman (a self-taught Baltimore civil engineer) and the type of bridge truss he was responsible for designing and developing. He was the first to evolve a system of bridging in iron to be consistently used on an

Bridge Marker - Union Mills Homestead

American railroad, and became one of the pioneers who ushered in the modern period of structural engineering. In fact, in 1850, the first example of this type of truss was constructed over the Little Patuxent River at Savage Factory near Laurel, Maryland. After reading about all of the bridges Mr. Bollman was responsible for constructing, this little Union Mills Homestead bridge pales in comparison to the larger Bollman-design bridges in existence – although it is still very impressive, to say the least.

From the bridge, I turned and started walking in the direction of the buildings on the Homestead.

Walk along Big Pipe Creek

To get there, I headed for Big Pipe Creek and slowly walked along the sidewalk leading me to the complex.  The air was cool and rich with the outdoor scents of the country and the creek sparkled in the sunlight. As I got closer to the buildings, all the worries and cares of a busy life fell behind me as I stepped back in time to another era - a more peaceful day.

Not only was the walk relaxing, it really put me in holiday spirit. There were wreaths on buildings, garland on the white picket fence around the main house, and large glittery ornaments hanging on the trees.

Ornaments in tree

I heard some faint Christmas music and realized it was coming from The Tannery (one of the Homestead’s ancillary buildings), so I strolled over to investigate.

The Tannery, which is similar to a tobacco-drying barn, was built because the Shrivers knew a good bit about tanning leather – a source of income for the family. They also knew the groves of Black Oak on the property would furnish tanbark for the facility. Unfortunately, in 1990, arson destroyed the original building. In 1991, the facility was rebuilt, to include a replica of the original sundial originally painted on the tannery wall in the 1860s.  Looking around the large room of The Tannery,

The Tannery

I was immediately awestruck. Countless large, white luminaries and sheets of white nylon mesh holding little white twinkle lights hung from the rafters. Strings of colored twinkle lights hung from the wall behind a small stage from which two gentlemen were softly playing Christmas music. This was the Union Mills Homestead Christkindlmarkt!

If you didn’t know this already, the most famous Christkindlmarkt in the world is the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt. Dating back to 1628, this event is one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany drawing about two million visitors per year. Each year, the Nuremberg Christkindlmarkt begins on the Friday preceding the first Sunday in Advent and ends on December 24, unless that day is a Sunday.

Obviously, the Union Mills Homestead’s Christkindlmarkt was on a much smaller scale than its international cousin, but it was definitely well worth the visit .

Union Mills Homestead Christkindlmarkt

The room was filled with items for sale, such as: fresh-cut pine, holly, and poinsettias. There was needlework and woodcraft, pounds of wrapped fudge and candies, breads, as well as homemade jams and jellies. There were German Nutcrackers, German Christmas Pyramids, German Christmas ornaments, German toys, Alpaca yarn, candles, and many other things that would make a tiny tot’s (and adult’s) eyes a-glow. The German items for sale were actually sent to the vendors directly from Germany, and I have to say they were absolutely beautiful. Everything was handmade, not mass produced. And the best thing of all? All proceeds go to the preservation and restoration of the Union Mills Homestead. The entire scene was absolutely mesmerizing – this was the epitome of holiday spirit!

The first vendor I encountered was Maggie – she was selling her yummy homemade preserves and bread. She told me she made everything herself just for this annual event.

Maggie's Table

Looking at the amount of preserves on the table, I know how busy she must have been all year long. Holding up one of the jars, Maggie asked if I ever had a Plumcot (a cross between a plum and an apricot) and kindly informed me that the jam made from this fruit was absolutely delicious. She was so sweet and reminded me so much of my Gram I just had to make a purchase from her!

Next up was a gentleman selling German Nutcrackers and

German Christmas Pyramid

German Christmas Pyramids. Because initially I wasn’t sure what was imported and what was locally made, I asked him if he handmade the items.  He nodded and proceeded to tell me about the long hours in his shop, his award-winning precision craftsmanship……..and then he stopped because he realized I was falling for this story “hook, line, and sinker!” He laughed and said, “I wish!” Then he told me he actually had three places in Germany who sent him the Nutcrackers and Pyramids to sell. I smiled,

German Nutcracker

told him they were beautiful, stayed a few minutes longer admiring them, and moved on.

I spent the next 30 or so minutes walking around admiring the merchandise and then it hit me – the intoxicating smells of bratwurst, sauerkraut, and mulled cider filled the air. I was suddenly hungry. I quickly ordered the odd combination of sauerkraut and apple strudel and ate as I listened to the musicians serenade

Lunch - Apple Strudel and Sauerkraut

The Tannery’s patrons. After lunch, I purchased a few more items and then made my way over to the main house/Homestead Museum.

As I approached the house/museum, one phrase came to mind – stately, yet understated. It was evident this was a well-loved home, and great care was taken to preserve every last bit of its history. At the entrance of the building, there was a sign prohibiting photography. Unfortunately, there were only 3 rooms that could be toured on the day I was there – normally, there are 12. Again, I assumed it was because it was off-season and there was minimal staff to monitor everyone touring the home. The rooms were filled with original artifacts from days-gone-by,

Rear View of the Main House/Museum

and everything is much the same as when six generations of the Shriver family lived there.

As mentioned earlier, the house was built in 1797. The following passage is an excerpt from "Union Mills: The Shriver Homestead Since 1797" by Frederic Shriver Klein. I found this particular excerpt especially interesting because it concerns the amount of money paid to the carpenter for his labor when constructing this house.

“A contract was made with Henry Kohlstock of Pennsylvania for building a small double house as a residence for the two brothers [David and Andrew Shriver.] Kohlstock, a Joiner, agreed "to finish two small houses 14 by 17 feet each, to be connected by a porch, and [a] passage about 10 feet wide." Each house had one upper and one lower room, with a connecting center hallway and a small porch in front, twelve by eight feet. The carpenter's bill for labor gives an interesting idea of costs in 1797:

Lower floors for small house 5 dols.
Upper floor, rough 3 dols.
Windows, casing, frames and sash 2 dols. each
Doors, casings, etc. 2 dols. each
Weatherboarding, stairs, porch, cornice seats, washboards 3 dols.
Painting 6 dols.

The total labor costs for the house came to eighty-six dollars!"

I mentioned earlier the original house had 4 rooms which

Main House/Museum

expanded over time to 23 rooms. This was because the house not only functioned as living quarters, it hosted: country meetings, political barbeques (essential to the elections in the 1800s), post office, wayside inn, and schoolhouse at various periods. Additionally, the Shriver household was becoming very large, so additions had to be built throughout the years to accommodate the “branches” of the growing family tree.

The 3 rooms I was able to tour were two dining rooms and a parlor. All were decorated for Christmas from the 1840-1860s time frame. One of the small dining rooms was the first room

Main House/Museum

 

I entered when I walked into the house. From there, I was led into the parlor where a woman was standing in the corner of the room, dressed in period piece costume, playing a Christmas carol on a hammered dulcimer. I had never seen an instrument like this and the sound was extremely calming. I was the only one in the room watching her, so I wasn’t hurried out of the room as quickly as I normally would have been. She played a couple of beautiful Christmas carols, and then I ventured over to the second dining room. This is where I saw a docent (again, dressed in period piece costume) showing a little boy how to make a pomander, or an orange clove Christmas ball. His eyes just lit up every time she punctured the orange with a clove – too cute! I left the house and walked less than 100 yards over to the Grist Mill.

The Shriver Grist Mill is the last functioning Grist Mill along

Union Mills (Shriver) Grist Mill

Big Pipe Creek, and serves as a historical teaching tool. The Grist Mill still produces Rice Flour, Rye Flour, Buckwheat Flour, Barley Flour, Cornmeal and Roasted Cornmeal, which are available for purchase in the gift shop. What is significant about this particular Grist Mill? When the mill was constructed in 1797, it was built with the most modern of milling innovations of the times. According to the Homestead’s pamphlet:

“David and Andrew Shriver (the Homestead’s founding fathers) used the design of noted millwright Oliver Evans. Evans’ genius was acknowledged by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, who both employed his designs in the

Union Mills (Shriver) Grist Mill

mills they owned. The Mill was powered by a large mid-breast wheel that turned millstones made of imported French burr stone. This was an important commercial Mill which ground flour, packed in barrels, and shipped out to Europe through the port of Baltimore. The mill operated until 1942 [145 years.] In 1983, the mill reopened as a working mill, winning awards for restoration.”

I was able to go inside the Mill and found more of the Christkindlmarkt vendors, in addition to a small table with the

Flour for Sale

Mill’s flour for sale. The vendors’ tables were blocking most of the view of the Mill’s inner workings, but then again I was supposed to be at an international Christmas market, not taking a tour, right? I was able to get a few pictures, which sparked the idea for a summertime tour of the facility.

From the Grist Mill, I wandered over to the The Miller's House, which was the home of the miller who worked in the Grist Mill. The Miller’s House is one of only three remaining major outbuildings – the other two are the

The Miller's House

blacksmith/carpenter shop and The Tannery. The house is located beside the Grist Mill and is completely restored. The owners of the Grist Mill did not necessarily operate the mill and many times hired a miller to run the mill.

The Bark Shed, which housed the blacksmith/carpenter’s shop, was next on my list. My blacksmith for the day was,

The Bark Shed

“Reb” and he was happily answering children’s questions and showing everyone how the huge blacksmith bellow worked. I watched Reb for a few minutes and then walked a couple of feet over to Mr. Don Lindsey, the carpenter. As he was one of the volunteers working that day, he was very excited to share his knowledge of the

Homestead with me.

For instance, did you know generations of Shrivers kept detailed writings unveiling how they lived, who they spoke to and how they felt about political leaders? Many of the diaries are still in existence today and serve as vital historical documents. Mr. Lindsey informed me a book was written, which is entitled, "Pastime Life & Love on the Homefront During the Civil War, 1861-1865” - a

collection of Shriver family diaries and letters from those who lived at the Homestead.

Perhaps the most interesting historical tidbit about the Shriver family involved two sons of Andrew Shriver (the original founding father of the Homestead.) Each son lived directly across the street from one another, and they had divided loyalties during the American Civil War. They

William's House

genuinely lived by the war’s slogan, “Brother Against Brother.” One of the sons, Andrew K., sided with the Union. The other son, William, was loyal to the Confederacy. Andrew K. lived in the main house with his wife and 4 children, and William lived directly across the street (now, Route 97) with his wife and 11 children, which was on the same family property. Strangely enough, it was reported they lived as peaceful neighbors.

Do you recall I mentioned earlier the Homestead played host to both the Union and Confederate armies? Well, this is what happened:

The most important historical episode associated with Union Mills Homestead occurred in June 1863. The first to arrive were General Jeb Stuart’s Confederates, who knocked on Andrew K. Shriver’s (Union supporter) door at eleven o’clock in the evening of 29 June 1863 asking for shelter for the night. According to his memoir, Louis Shriver, who was twelve at the time, described his father’s reaction to the Confederate general’s request: “’Well, sir, I can tell you I am a Union Man!”

As he had no intention of playing host to Confederates, he refused officers lodging in his home and forced them to sleep in the orchards. He also declined to share any supplies. Andrew K. was even threatened with imprisonment, but he still did not accommodate the Confederates. The morning

Marker - William Hosting Confederate Army

after spending the night in the orchard, the Confederate officers moved across the road where they were greeted by a decidedly more enthusiastic and hospitable host – William Shriver. He was more than happy to feed and entertain the Confederates.

At 10:00 am, the Confederates began their departure from the property. Shortly thereafter, the Union Troops made their appearance. Commanding General Sykes of the Fifth Corps of the Potomac arrived at the property at 5:00 pm. This time, Andrew K. greeted the soldiers with just as much enthusiasm

Marker - Andrew K. Hosting Union Army

as his brother had welcomed the Confederates. Andrew K. extended his hospitality to the Union officers with food, entertainment, and a comfortable place to sleep for the night. Of course, William was not willing to lend his brother any assistance. In the morning, the twelve thousand men left the premises and marched on to Gettysburg.

I was so interested in what Mr. Lindsey was telling me, I wasn’t paying attention to the time – I needed to get back on the road. I thanked Mr. Lindsey for the information he shared and left the building for my car.

Decades upon decades have gone by since the formation of the Union Mills Homestead. During its existence, many people have visited to the property, to include: a nondiscriminatory visit from thousands of civil war soldiers (as mentioned above), author Washington Irving, and naturalist John James Audubon visited when the house was an Inn. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney and “The Star-Spangled Banner" author Francis Scott Key each spoke from the balcony of the house during local political rallies. This is just to name a few.

Presently, this historical landmark is now a museum of American culture operated by the Union Mills Homestead Foundation, a non-profit organization with all proceeds dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the Union Mills Homestead Complex. Additionally, the Homestead is

The Tannery

used as a popular wedding venue (read reviews here.) The Tannery is the building used during these special events, and is very successful in capturing that romantic and rustic charm so many couples are looking for when they marry.

As I drove out the gate, I reflected on the day – it was a wonderful journey back in time, and a fantastic way to bring in the holiday season. With my “Christmas Spirit Meter” pegged, I rolled my windows down, and blared one of my all time favorite Christmas songs in the car as I drove down the road. Just then I realized I broke my unwritten rule about not playing Christmas music until Thanksgiving. Then I thought to myself, “Hey everybody! Do you hear what I hear?”

I smiled – I was pretty certain someone did.