For Here, There Once Were Mills <—-Click for Full Text
Updated in 2019
For Here, There Once Were Mills: Down the Hill, Below the Falls by Jennifer L. Adams; Troy Historical Society, Troy, New Hampshire
This longitudinal study documents the history of two small 19th century watermills at East Hill, a location that was separated from Marlborough, NH, and integrated into Troy upon its 1815 incorporation. Once established, these mills became functional components of the local landscape and basic supportive elements of their nascent community’s social fabric.
Following an introductory generic overview of watermills, the study examines interpersonal relationships and topographical features that led to architectural siting and construction of the first mill in this vicinity, c. 1800, and its terrain alterations. Proceeding chronologically through the 19th century, as categorized by sequential eras of this primary mill’s ownership, it delineates the mills’ development and the lives of their “mill people” within a dynamic framework of often-turbulent sociological, technological, and economic factors.