The Union Mills Homestead, the Shriver family homestead for 6 generations, is a museum complex, consisting of the main house and award-winning grist mill.
Built in 1797, the mill is an excellent example of an Oliver Evans design, with the wooden waterwheel, gears, parts and frame painstakingly recreated. Whole wheat, buckwheat and cornmeal can be ground in the mill.
The main house began as 4 rooms in 1797, expanding over the years as the family grew. The artifacts are original, and everything is much the same as when six generations of the Shriver family lived there.
The Homestead is on the Maryland Civil War Trails, and was a stopping point in June, 1863 for J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry as it travelled towards Gettysburg. Hours after Stuart departed, General James Barnes, USA, set up headquarters in the house.
The house and the grist mill are open for guided tours, and the proceeds are dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the Union Mills Homestead complex.
