CHESTER SPRINGS PA – The 278-year-old Mill at Anselma has celebrated plenty of important dates in its time. During 2025, the colonial-era grist mill observes yet another milestone: the 20th anniversary of its designation by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a national historic landmark.
The Anselma structure, which for centuries ground grains into flour and other products, is considered among the nation’s “most intact examples” of mills of its kind.
That’s due in part to restoration and preservation of what the Exton Chamber of Commerce describes as “the mill’s rare and remarkably preserved structure, (and) original milling equipment.”
It is located at 1730 Conestoga Rd. in Chester Springs, only 14 miles southeast of Pottstown. The property is annually open to the public on weekends from April through December, and hosts season public and private events.
A comprehensive site master plan guided the restoration work between 2001 and 2005. The refurbishment was made possible by financial support from private and government grants, foundation gifts, and private donors.
Preservation and Restoration Efforts
Well before its restoration and landmark designation, officials of the site were credited with taking efforts “to preserve and restore key elements of the mill property.”
They included stabilization and conservation of the primary building and its original machinery. Its water wheel and forebay were reconstructed. Additional surrounding historic structures – the Simmers-Collins House, a spring house, chicken coop, and wagon barn – also were restored.
By 2004, its gates opened to welcome the public to the restored site. More than 1,200 attendees enjoyed the return of flour-milling operations, and the the start of new education and interpretation efforts.
Spanning 22 acres, the site now also showcases Chester County’s industrial history, with original colonial-era power trains and industrial equipment from the 1700s to 1900s.
The landmark currently operates as an independent, non-profit historic site along Pickering Creek. Its programs include hands-on milling demonstrations, guided tours, and emonstrations of the region’s agricultural, technological, and community history.
Photo from The Mill at Anselma, provided to Travels With The Post
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