That's My World Volume IV-Tingler's Mill at Paint Bank, Virginia

More about Paint Bank Virginia and Tingler's Mill

Tingler's Mill has a long and varied history. As a present-day decorative fixture of Paint Bank, its presence makes a grand statement about revitalization and historic preservation. In the past, however, it was an important element of everyday life in the town of Paint Bank, Virginia, serving area farmers and residents as a source of grain and flour by grinding corn and wheat.
The grist mill sits on Potts Creek, on property originally owned by Revolutionary War hero Colonel William Preston. Preston was given the land grants in 1780 for his service in the war. Through Preston's children the property eventually passed to John H. Peyton, Preston's granddaughter's husband, in 1816.

While the unincorporated town was officially formed in 1851, the mill building itself was not built until 1863. Henry Tingler began a small water-powered operation to process corn, wheat and oats for local farmers. During the civil war Tingler was drafted into service by the Confederacy, but managed to return home by proclaiming that his services as a miller were more valuable than his services as a soldier. A Union sympathizer, after his return home he not only supplied food to the people in the area, but also gun powder to the fighting forces.

Tingler's daughter Molly married W. H. (Harve) Humphreys, who lived in a house near the present-day general store and worked the mill with Tingler. According to Humphreys's grandson, Watson Smith of New Castle, Humphreys wanted to keep the business in the family, and expand it to include making flour. Tingler could not read or write, so Humphreys provided the driving force behind the renovation. In 1897, Humphreys borrowed $10,000 and reworked the mechanics of the mill, tearing down the original building and starting over. The small grist mill became a manufacturing mill capable of large scale flour production. The building which stands today most likely is that second building, erected over the old foundation in 1897.
Humphreys bequeathed the mill to his son, Johnny Henry Humphreys, who operated the mill until 1952, when he sold it to Roy S. and Coral May Morse. Roy Morse sold the mill to David E. and Marcia Harrison a little over a decade later, in 1967. By this time, local residents say, government regulations on the mill had become so strict that operating it was no longer cost-effective.

From 1897 until 1971 the mill was known as "Humphreys Mill". In 1971, when the Harrisons sold the mill to A.J. and Dorothy W. Tingler, the mill became known as "Tingler's Mill". The Tinglers kept the mill in the family until 1993, when it was sold to Jonathan F. Fitzgerald with the stipulation that the mill continue to be called "Tingler's Mill". Fitzgerald sold the property to the Mulheren family, the present owners.

In 2004, the mill pond was revitalized and is now stocked with trout. Recently the entire exterior of the mill was restored, a new race was constructed and the big wheel is once again turning. Restoration of the inside of the building is on-going as the present owners continue to bring the mill back to its former beauty and function. In the future, they hope to add tours to view the machinery and to be able to have demonstrations of the complete milling process, from kernel to flour (borrowed from post posted by The Depot Lodge)

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A Day in the Virginia Countryside

Paint Bank, Virginia is located on State Route 311 and is in the far northwest corner of Craig County close to the West Virginia border.

The restaurant, called the Swinging Bridge, was our destination for lunch this day and features home grown bison (I will show pictures of them in future posts). Paint Bank’s Hollow Hill Farm is home to about 200 bison and Highlander beef cattle. The meat, which is shipped all over the country is featured prominently on the restaurant's menu. There's buffalo stew, buffalo burgers, and buffalo steak sandwiches. Homemade pies, cakes, breads, and desserts top off the menu.Hubby waiting for me while I run about looking at potential photographic opportunities.

While waiting to be seated for lunch we ran into friends from my work (Jay and Joan and Alex and Ellen) who were out for the day on their motorcycles. We enjoyed a hearty lunch. A couple of us had bison stew while the others had buffalo steak sandwiches. Dessert was yummy and of course we could not pass it up. Hubby and I shared a piece of pecan pie. Jay and Joan shared a piece of pumpkin log as did Alex and Ellen.

I ventured up to the swinging bridge after lunch and snapped a photo of hubby, Jay and Alex (right to left) while they chatted about how to solve the world's problems.

Here is the swinging bridge that is above the restaurant dining room. It is firmly anchored and you walk across it to get from one side of the gift shop to the other. You can also walk around but it isn't nearly as fun. The restaurant decor is quite interesting and features a bevy of taxidermy animals. I will share them in a future post.

After lunch we decided to follow the bikers and ventured further into the Virginia countryside along route 600. I will share more photos in future posts.