On Saturday, with a couple of visitors out for the day, we took in a couple of Page Valley sites. After a picnic near Hawksbill Creek at Wisteria Farm and Vineyards, we drove into town via the Ida Loop and made a stop at Willow Grove Mill. I’ve driven past the mill hundreds of times, but this is the first time I ever pulled over to take a look around – I’m glad we finally did.
Apparently, the mill is typical of dozens of mills that populated the area in the 1800’s. This one was owned by the Ruffners, which was one of Luray’s early families – in fact, they provided the original land for the founding of the town. Their land was along both sides of Hawksbill Creek from this area down to where it flows into the Shenandoah River.
Last week, I mentioned Stonewall Jackson’s commitment to protecting the “breadbasket of the Confederacy” – this mill was part of the agricultural industry he was making reference to. The historic marker (http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=11034 – none of my photos are good enough to republish) talks about the 1864 Valley campaign that burned this and other production facilities
The family that owns the farms now has a little farm store on US 340 by the Creek. There are lots of local treats to be had, but one highlight is some heritage items about the mill’s operation, including this flour bag. I snapped this photo a few weeks ago during a stop.The mill was recently featured in a new town mural, which can be seen along the Hawksbill Greenway. The building is prominent, but a couple of highlights have been added to emphasize other aspects of Valley life – there are some hunting dogs in the foreground, and a row of re-enactor tents can be seen in the background.
The URL for the marker says there are quite a few other points of interest within two miles of the mill. I need to make a point of finding them all and checking them out.
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