THE Turn the Mill around Campaign
Preserving Virginia History for nearly thirty years
Since its founding in 1998, the Turn the Mill Around Campaign has worked tirelessly to protect and stabilize the Chapman-Beverley Mill.
Early Preservation Efforts
In 1973, the Chapman-Beverley Mill and its surrounding site was sold to Joan Irvine Smith, a local philanthropist and president of the Bull Run Preserve, Inc., a non-profit educational corporation. In 1976 Mrs. Smith deeded the Mill property by gift to Bull Run Preserve with the intention of leveraging the organization’s resources to begin a full restoration. Appointed caretakers boarded up the Mill to deter intruders and prepared the structure for the restoration process. However, by 1979 these restoration efforts had stalled and the Chapman-Beverley Mill remained closed to the public.
Amidst growing concern for the Mill’s stability, local community members petitioned Mrs. Smith and Bull Run Preserve to sell the Mill site and pave the way for restoration efforts. Two small fires had been extinguished in the summer of 1998, and concerned about the liability of further damage, Mrs. Smith agreed to sell the Mill to a group of community advocates who would later become the Turn the Mill Around Campaign (TTMAC).
However, on the afternoon of October 22, 1998, just a few days before the final sale papers were to be signed, arsonists ignited a fire which totally destroyed the interior of the Mill. Fed by wooden equipment and support posts dating back to 1876, the blaze raged so hot that it took 9 hours and 100 firefighters to get the fire under control. Despite their best efforts, the Mill roof and gables had collapsed, leaving the structure in ruins.
Citing an increased risk of collapse caused by the arson attack, the Prince William County Department of Public Works condemned the site and ordered that its owner had to repair the Mill or tear it down. Mrs. Smith decided to donate the Mill site and the Bull Run Preserve non-profit to the newly formed Turn the Mill Around Campaign. Thus Bull Run Preserve, Inc. started trading as Turn the Mill Around Campaign.
Founding the Campaign
The Turn the Mill Around Campaign (TTMAC) was formed by local preservation minded citizens who recognized the cultural and historical importance of the Chapman-Beverley Mill. Campaign members chose to preserve the Chapman-Beverley Mill as a ruin site, to showcase the architectural, engineering, and historic elements of the building that remained after the 1998 fire.
TTMAC’s vision for the Mill’s preservation included developing the site with pathways and interpretive signage, restoring the nearby Mill store for use as a visitor’s center, and providing the public access. The Campaign board eagerly began fundraising and the search for a historic preservation contractor suited for such a difficult project.
Before preservation efforts began in earnest, TTMAC needed to resolve one issue: the Mill’s name. Traditionally, merchant mills were named after their current owner and their family. As the Mill was now owned by the Bull Run Preserve non-profit organization, continuing this tradition was not an option.
To avoid confusion, TTMAC decided to name the structure the two influential families who owned the Mill during its years of operation: the Chapmans, who originally built the Mill and owned it for nearly five generations, and the Beverleys, who owned the Mill until 1891. Thus, the structure became known as the Chapman-Beverley Mill.
Preservation Begins
In 2004, TTMAC contracted Cintec™ America, Inc. to begin stabilization efforts of the Mill’s South wall. Cintec America’s parent firm, Cintec™ International Ltd. had reconstructed the Queen’s Wing of Windsor Castle following its 1992 fire and had done restoration work to Buckingham Palace.
Using an innovative internal anchor system, Cintec™ drilled two inch diameter cores of rock horizontally from the corners of the Mill as well as vertically and horizontally around each of the structure’s sixty-seven windows and doors. A stainless steel rod placed in a mesh “sock” was inserted into the drilled area, followed by a special grout which expanded the sock to fill the the holes and crevices along the South wall. Cintec™ covered each drill site with rock so no stabilization work would be visible.
As the stabilization process continued, the cost of labor and materials began to rise. Originally, the project was estimated to cost $500,000. By the end of 2004, that number had become $1,042,000, which did not include the development of site amenities such as accessible bathrooms and pathways. Following another round of fundraising, TTMAC and Cintec™ began the stabilization of the North, East, and West walls of the Mill.
Completed in July of 2006, this second phase of stabilization succeeded in saving the Chapman-Beverley Mill from risk of collapse and demolition by state authorities. Additionally, this allowed TTMAC to begin hosting events and programs within the Mill itself, empowering its education and fundraising abilities.
Future Projects
Although now structurally stable, there remains much more preservation work for the Chapman-Beverley Mill and its surrounding site. TTMAC’s master plan includes the rebuilding of the gable end walls, restoration of the 29-foot mill waterwheel, and additional stabilizing of windows and lintels.
Fundraising for these projects is ongoing. If you are interested in supporting impactful preservation efforts, consider donating to support us directly or subscribing to our newsletter to stay up to date with our work.
“The project of opening the Chapman-Beverley Mill site has been truly a community effort to save a cherished landmark.”
— Ellen Percy Miller, former director of the Turn the Mill Around Campaign
Preservation Milestones
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1998
The Chapman-Beverley Mill survives an arson attack. The Turn the Mill Around Campaign assumes stewardship.
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2000
The Campaign opens the Chapman-Beverley Mill site to the public.
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2004
The Mill’s South wall is stabilized using innovative masonry anchoring techniques.
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2006
Cintec America, Inc. successfully stabilizes the Mill’s North, South, and West walls.
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2014
WSSI volunteers conduct the first archaeological survey of the Chapman-Beverley Mill site.
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2016
Site amenities, including a bus turnaround, handicapped parking, and bathrooms are installed.
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2023
The launch of our Digital Archive shares thousands of never before seen artifacts with the public.
