| Hillsborough's mill seat |
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Nash's Mill, 1768 | ||
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Hillsborough has had several mills within its town limits, and several more not far outside of its town limits, throughout its 250+ year history. What was known as Hillsborough's "Mill Seat" was located in a small bend in the Eno River, at the southern end of what is now Wake Street.
In March 1755, William Nunn, Jr. (1743-1806), petitioned the Court of Common Pleas and Quarter "to build a Grist Mill on the Enoe River on the land of Col. Corbin and the Town Land." It is unclear, however, if the mill was ever built. In November of 1764, Abner Nash (1740-1786) was "ordered" by the court to "erect and build a Publick Grist Mill on Enoe River on the Mill Lots in Childsburg belonging to the said Nash." Additionally, a summons was issued to Francis Corbin to appear at the next court session "to show cause why one Acre of Land on the side of the said Enoe River should not be condemned to the use of the said Nash" for the purpose of erecting the mill; apparently, Corbin didn't want the land to be used for a mill for some reason. At some point, a saw mill was erected in the vicinity of the grist mill (see excerpt from the 1768 Sauthier map of Hillsborough above; the mills are marked 'E'). Around 1768, lawyer and militia captain Francis Nash (1742-1777) purchased the mills that were previously owned by William Nunn and Abner Nash (Francis's brother). After Francis Nash was killed in the Revolutionary War, his estate was left to his wife and two daughters; the executor of his will, Alfred Moore, sold the mill property to James Patterson for �1,100 in January 1778. In August 1785, Patterson sold the property to William Watters and Peter Mallett (1744-1805), which included "the grist mill, saw mill, and all other buildings...." In October 1795, Watters sold his half share to Mallett. A Wilmington Gazette (newspaper) advertisement from August 13, 1805, lists for sale from the estate of Peter Mallett: "A Grist Mill on the Eno River and in the town of Hillsborough, the Mill runs two pair of stones with the necessary machinery of a Merchant Mill, the whole in tolerable repair; from the natural advantages this Mill posses, it is considered to be the most valuable in the state." The mill appears to not have been sold, however. It may have been kept or rented by a family member who may have attempted to keep the mill in operation, but it likely went out of operation and the mills were abandoned. In October 1823, the heirs of Peter Mallett deeded "the remains of the grist mill, Saw mill, and all other buildings and improvements" to John Walker. Walker was married to Caroline Mallett, one of Peter's daughters. Sometime between 1823 and 1842, John Walker sold the mill equipment. In February 1842, Caroline Walker sold the "Old Mill & Mill Seat" (which included "Mallett's Old Mill Dam" and the "old Mill Pond") to Osmond Long and James Webb, Jr., for $2,287.29. They, in turn, sold the property to James Palmer (mayor of Hillsborough from 1856-7) for $1,750 in January 1846. 
View of the mill from the Eno River bridge, circa 1900 (image courtesy UNC) The property changed hands numerous times between 1853 (when Palmer declared bankruptcy) and the mid-twentieth century. The 1894 and 1900 Sanborn Map Company maps of Hillsborough show the two-story "J. Crabtree Custom Mill" at the site of the earlier mills (see map excerpts below). It appears that a family by the name of Hayes owned the property during this time, and perhaps rented the mill site property to Crabtree. The 1905 Sanborn map of Hillsborough lists the building as "the Crabtree, Cole, and Whitaker Custom Mill," and the 1911 map lists the structure as vacant. The 1924 Sanborn map does not show a mill or building at this location. |
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 1894 |
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 1900 |
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 1905 |
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 1911 |
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Sources:
Orange County Court Minutes (Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions). Volumes I (1755) and III (1764-5). Orange County Register of Deeds Office Deed Book and page: 2:1 2:523, 524 3:14, 15 5:641-643 21:1-3 29:550 30:355 32:48 34:246-249, 309-311 49:468 60:16, 17 Mark Chilton, personal communiciation The Sanborn Map Company. Hillsboro, NC. 1894, 1900, 1905, 1911, 1924. |
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