Explore Jerusalem Mill Village
Please click the "Read More" links on the right to learn more about Jerusalem Mill Village.
A 318 acre land tract in Baltimore County called Jerusalem, along the Gunpowder River, was patented to Nicholas Hempstead and John Walley in 1687. By 1743 the tract contained 368 acres and various buildings, and had been acquired by ironmaster Stephen Onion. Onion died in 1750, leaving his property to his nephew, Zacheas Barrett Onion.
In 1768 Zacheas Onion engaged Quaker millwright Isaiah Linton, of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to repair and improve the existing ironworks and mills. Linton brought family and friends into the venture, including miller David Lee.
Linton eventually built eight water-powered mills along the Little Gunpowder River. The site of his fourth mill, which he completed in 1772, endured to become the centerpiece of Jerusalem Mill Village, a Quaker village that thrived into the very early 20th century. David Lee agreed to operate Lee's Merchant Mill and divide the profits equally with Linton.
There is evidence to suggest that in the early years of the Revolutionary War, David Lee and several other Quakers made black walnut stocks and assembled rifles for the patriot cause in two-story stone building behind the gristmill. Although the building was used for a variety of purposes throughout its history, it is commonly known as the Gunshop.
David Lee' son and heir, Ralph Sackett Lee, successfully expanded the village's operations. By mid 19th century, most of the village was in place. After the Civil War, all of the villages' operations were gradually leased out then eventually sold. In the 1870s the gristmill became known as Jerusalem Merchant Mill. A succession of owners operated the gristmill until 1961, when the last miller died. The State of Maryland purchased the mill and property for Gunpowder Falls State Park.
The Friends of Jerusalem Mill organized in 1985 to restore the gristmill and adjacent buildings, and explore and revive the village's colorful history. Click on any Read More link to learn more about the past, present, and future of the Jerusalem Mill Village.
