The Friends of Peirce Mill in collaboration with the National Park Service recently celebrated the re-opening of the historic Peirce Mill, the last surviving mill in Washington that operated along Rock Creek in the 19th-century. For the first time since 1993, the water wheel is spinning again, too.

Built in the 1820s, the mill ceased commercial operations in early 2000 and was then incorporated into Rock Creek Park as a part of the federal park system. After raising more than $1 million through donations coupled with a sizable contribution as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Friends of Peirce Mill were able to reinforce the building and restore various parts of the historic structure.

Located at the corner of Tilden Street NW and Beach Drive, Washington, DC, the mill is open on Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Inside visitors can see all of the mechanisms that move, clean and grind grain into flour. And although the creek no longer drives water through the wheel, it still turns thanks to a pump in a restored section of the mill race.
Group tours are available by reservation.

For more information, call 202-895-6070 or visit www.peircemill-friends.org.

Video of Peirce Mill Restoration

Peirce Mill Restoration from Friends of Peirce Mill on Vimeo.