Shafer's Mill - 1812 - Middletown MD - Dated Architectural Structures Multifarious on Waymarking.com

National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form

The significance of the house called Shafer's Mill in Frederick County is derived from the architectural character of the building. The house embodies the distinctive characteristics of the rural domestic architecture of central and western Maryland and south-central Pennsylvania in the first quarter of the 19th century. These structures, which usually represent the second generation of the building stock, generally are 2 1/2 stories high, of brick construction, and Georgian in form with Federal decorative detailing. The facades are usually laid in Flemish bond with wooden molded cornices. The feature that sets this house apart from the majority of the other extant examples is the large proportions of the form. Shafer's Mill has an unusually high level of integrity of historic fabric and features, including graining on the doors, but is in only fair structural condition primarily due to neglect over time. Additional significance is acquired from association with John Shafer, Jr. (1753-1823), and his son Peter Shafer (1802-1896) who operated four mills in this area. The house was built for John Shafer, Jr. and occupied by him until his death and then by Peter Shafer until the 1830s. John and Peter Shafer are described in local history as two of the most important millers in the Middletown area in the 19th century.

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Year built or dedicated as indicated on the structure or plaque: 1812 Full Inscription (unless noted above): SHAFER'S MILL c.1812 has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior Website (if available): [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log   11/17/2021 Don.Morfe visited it