Cabells Mill

Cabells Mill, Centreville, Fairfax County, Virginia

–  Click on the image to enlarge or purchase  –

Cabells Mill

Cabells Mill, known at different times as Triplett’s Mill, Caples Mill, Pittmans Mill and Middlegate, was included in the estate purchased by David and Ellanor C. Lawrence in 1935.  In fulfillment of their wish that the land be set aside as a community park, David Lawrence, founder of the magazine U.S. News and World Report, donated the property to the Fairfax County Park Authority in 1971 in memory of his wife.

Cabells Mill, Centreville, Fairfax County, Virginia

–  Click on the image to enlarge or purchase  –

It is believed that the mill was built as early as 1769 but no later than the early 1800s. The mill was powered by water of Big Rocky Run.  Originally used to grind grain into flour for local farmers, the mill was also used to grind sumac for the tanning industry.  Harvey Nichols, the last mill owner, operated a grist mill here until 1916.  The mill wheel, originally placed at the east end of the building, and the milling machinery were removed during the 1940’s.

Cabells Mill, Centreville, Fairfax County, Virginia

–  Click on the image to enlarge or purchase  –

Located in the wooded acres of what is now Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, the mill has long been a unique setting for social occasions.   David and Ellanor C. Lawrence transformed the old mill into a guest house and hosted many Washington notables, including Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.   The interior, offering a spacious room with hardwood floors, deep window sills and a working fireplace, has been modernized and the exterior renovated to provide a historic building facility for public use.

Middlegate Complex, Cabells Mill, Centreville, Fairfax County, Virginia

–  Click on the image to enlarge or purchase  –

Middlegate served as the miller’s house and was probably built in the early 1800s.  Middlegate is currently used for park administration and maintenance offices, a caretaker’s apartment and a maintenance shop. It is closed to the public.