Upcoming Events

Weekend Mill Tours: Step into history and join us at The Mill at Anselma every Saturday from 10 am to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to immerse yourself in the colonial-era milling process. And if you're craving some outdoor adventure, our nature trail awaits you daily, offering serene walks amidst nature's beauty from dawn to dusk.  

Santa at the Mill! Join us at the Mill at Anselma on Saturday, December 14th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a festive day with Santa! Experience the historic waterwheel in action and witness this remarkable feat of engineering. The Lenape Brass Ensemble will perform to add to the holiday cheer! This will be the Mill’s final open day of the year before it rests until April 2025—marking its 277th year!

Check our website, Facebook, and Instagram pages for upcoming events. 

October Highlights

Welcoming Kenneth Klein to the Mill at Anselma’s Board of Trustees

The Mill at Anselma is delighted to welcome Kenneth Klein as the newest member of our Board of Trustees. With over 30 years of experience in the banking industry, Mr. Klein currently serves as Vice President and Business Banker at First Bank, where he plays a key role in driving business growth across Southern New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

For several years the Mill at Anselma has had rent free storage of our Collin's Machine Tool Collection at Lundale Farm; the former home of Eleanor and Sam Morris. Sam a former Pennsylvania State Representative and Eleanor founder of a land preservation trust active in Northern Chester County.  The Mill at Anselma Preservation and Education Trust is a direct spinoff from Samuel and Eleanor Morris’ the French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust. 

After a protracted search for resources to accomplish our collection move, a friend of one of our volunteers was approached for ideas and contacts.  Our contact Brent Kunkle, owner of The Balston Group an area general contracting firm agreed to review the situation and to make recommendations.  After visiting both locations Brent agreed to take on the project at minimal or no cost.  The Balston Group provided 3 large flatbed trailers, an oversized skid steerer/forklift, 2 trucks, pallet jack and miscellaneous pallets/tie-down straps/chains.  Brent personally engineered the work and operated the equipment, again at no cost to the Mill.  Subcontract labor was provided at nominal cost by Jorge Romero, JR Property Maintenance, LLC.  Our Miller stated that the prior move to Lundale Farm took 3 days - This move was accomplished in 1 long day.

When asked Brent estimated a standard quote for the work performed would be in the $3,500 to $4,000 range.  The Mill at Anselma greatly appreciates the service provided.  The weather was perfect and cows were not inconvenienced.

Did you know The Mill at Anselma played a key role in the American Revolution?

Recognizing the growing demand for milled grain in the American colonies, Samuel Lightfoot built a custom gristmill on Pickering Creek in 1747 to produce flour and animal feed. The Lightfoot Mill (which later became The Mill at Anselma) was among hundreds of mills built at this time in Chester County, making us a nation that could feed ourselves and declare independence from Great Britain.

The Mill at Anselma will be a centerpiece in Chester County’s America250 celebrations and welcome thousands of visitors. We are actively preparing our buildings and grounds for 2026, but there is much more to do, including treating the Mill Building’s trim and gables with linseed oil; repairing the masonry and chimney on the Miller’s House; cleaning and repairing the Visitor Center roof; and, installing new interpretative signs on the grounds.

We are so grateful to our loyal friends that have generously made contributions totaling $44,500 to date, but we need to raise $150,000 in total to complete all our America250 projects. Please consider making your donation to The Mill’s America250 Campaign today. Click here to give online now, or you can send a check to:

The Mill at Anselma

1730 Conestoga Road

Chester Springs, PA 19045

If you’ve already responded to our America250 appeal, please accept our heartfelt thanks.

Historical Remark

Thanksgiving at the Mill: Exploring the Cultural and Culinary Origins of Thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving:

• Throughout history, most agricultural societies have celebrated harvest festivals. Native Americans celebrated with rituals and dances like the Lenape’s Green Corn Dance.

• The 1621 harvest feast between the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims is often associated with the first Thanksgiving, but much of the story is based on fiction.

• The Wampanoag and the Pilgrims had already formed an alliance, and the feast was intended to thank the Wampanoag for teaching the colonists how to cook.

What was on the menu?

• Meat: Venison, likely provided by the Native Americans

• Seafood: Shellfish like lobster, clams, and mussels were abundant on the coast

• Vegetables: Pumpkins, native to America, were a staple crop. Probably served boiled or roasted

• Fruit: Cranberries are native to the region and could have been part of the meal

• Grains: Corn would have been ground into a porridge or meal. There is evidence of a gristmill in Jamestown in 1621, but it is unclear whether the corn was ground using a mill or by mortar and pestle.

The modern Thanksgiving

• 1863: President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November a national day to thank God.

• 1939: Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week to spur retail sales during the Great Depression. Known as Franksgiving, the policy change was highly unpopular.

• 1941: Roosevelt reluctantly signed a bill to make Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November.

• Today, Thanksgiving has lost much of its original religious significance and now centers on cooking and sharing a meal with family and friends.

What’s on the menu now?

• Turkey: Synonymous with the holiday, but probably wasn’t on the original menu

• Stuffing: AKA “dressing.” Recipes not only vary by region but from household to household

• Mashed potatoes: Native to Peru, potatoes were brought to America by Irish immigrants

• Macaroni and Cheese: Pennsylvania’s most popular Thanksgiving side dish of 2023

• Sweet Potatoes: Baked, roasted, candied, or in a casserole

• Green Bean Casserole: Created in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly at the Campbell Soup Company

• Cranberry Sauce: Boiled down with juices into a jam or canned as a jelly

• Pie: Apple, pumpkin, sweet potato, and pecan pie.

• Cornbread…

Last but certainly not least is Cornbread. Cornbread is one of America's oldest foods! The cornbread served on the first Thanksgiving would have probably used maple syrup or fruit as a sweetener in the absence of sugar. Before baking powder, people used pearlash, a purified potash, as a leavening agent. Native Americans were the first to use pearlash to leaven their breads.

The following is our very own Country Cornbread recipe made with dark roasted cornmeal ground here at the Mill.

Rent the Mill for Your Next Event

We are looking for corporate sponsors and private donors who are ready and willing to support our historical site.

Our non-profit organization highly depends on community support, including time that you could volunteer with us. If you would like to get involved, you can become a volunteer and join our communication, marketing, event planning, and operations teams.