2019-11-07 00:29:15
Route 331 and Linchester Road Preston, MD 21655 410-310-9202 www.carolinehistory.org/places/linchester-mill-campus/
Daily life around Linchester Mill provided fertile yet dangerous ground for those seeking freedom. Whites and blacks, free and enslaved, would have regular contact here, at the general store or the post office. Free and enslaved African Americans worked side-by-side, providing a constant flow of information and support to freedom seekers. Quakers and free blacks who lived near the mill secretly helped fleeing slaves pass through the area.
A series of water-powered grist and sawmills operated here from the 1680s until 1979. The mill was situated amidst a secret network of safe houses: the Levertons, the Hubbards and the Kelleys on the west side, and Harriet Tubman’s parents Ben and Rit Ross at Poplar Neck on the east side. Daniel Hubbard, a known Underground Railroad conductor who lived less than a mile away, probably worked at the mill and may have helped build it.
The milldam provided a possible crossing point over Hunting Creek for fugitives headed to the Ross home at Poplar Neck, to Marsh Creek, or Preston and beyond. Such crossing points helped freedom seekers stay dry, particularly important in cold weather, and to avoid unwanted attention.
There is fuel and food in the town of Preston. Linchester Mill has ample parking and seasonal special events. Docent volunteers staff the Mill on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month from June through September. On site you will find a 19th-century village environment with a one-room school house, the original miller’s house and an assistant miller’s house. You will also find a picnic area and restrooms. Tours can be arranged by appointment.
Next Site
Turn right on Linchester Rd. Turn left on MD 16 E/MD 331 N/Main St. Travel 1 mile. Turn left onto Maple Ave., which becomes Choptank Rd. Travel 3 miles to Water St. Turn left and park in the lot on the right.
Previous Site
Turn right on Linchester Rd. Turn right on MD 16 W/ MD 331 S. Travel 0.2 mile and turn left onto Seaman Rd. Travel 0.7 mile to the driveway on the right.
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