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History of the Old Mill House
The early years
Located on the banks of the Perkiomen Creek, the Old Mill House has a rich history from its early use as a local grist mill, to its restoration as an elegant, summer retreat home.
Early records show that when the property was purchased in 1774 by Joseph Pawling it included a grist mill. The grist mill functioned, off and on, for over 100 years, until a fire destroyed it in 1900. At the time, it was being leased by Mr. Irvin Hauseman, and was known in the area as Hauseman’s Mill.
In 1910 the property was sold to Dr. Hiram Rittenhouse Loux, a prominent Philadelphia surgeon. Between 1910-1925 Dr. Rittenhouse and his wife rebuilt the property by building a summer retreat on the foundation of the former grist mill, with servants’ quarters on the upstairs level. It became known as the Old Mill House. Dr. Rittenhouse Loux commuted to and from Philadelphia on the Perkiomen Railroad – the same train that former Gov. Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker, who was living at Pennypacker Mills a mile up-stream at the time, would have used to travel into the city as well.
In 1925 Dr. Loux sold the property, and after passing through several owners, the house and 13 acres was eventually sold to Mr. Charles Smith in 1948. Smith was a politician who was elected as State Auditor General, and used the house mainly for entertaining. During his time here, he constructed a swimming pool in the front of the property in 1950. It was one of the first pools in the area. Montgomery County bought the Old Mill House, and the surrounding property, on March 30, 1976, calling it Central Perkiomen Valley Park.
The connections
Plank Road, which cuts through CPVP, was formerly called Loux Road. Its current name came from the original construction of an oak plank bridge that crossed the dam and was anchored by stones. You can still see the remains of the old dam across the creek, as well as the two stone pillars in front of the Old Mill House where Plank Road entered the property.
The road location was changed after the depression, when an iron bridge was constructed for the convenience of horses and carriages, just downstream from the house. Still called Plank Road today, the iron bridge was replaced by a new concrete bridge in 1991.
The Old Mill House served as park staff offices and a rental facility until September 1, 2021, when flood waters from Hurricane Ida severely damaged the structure, forcing it to be demolished. But its memory and unique history live on as part of this area and the Central Perkiomen Valley Park.
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