The History

In 1974 my father began looking for an old mill that could be relocated to the family farm in western Maryland so that it could be reconstructed to produce electricity. His pursuit of  hydroelectric power led him to the legendary water wheel maker Mr. John Blake Campbell of Philadelphia, PA. In 1975 Mr. Campbell was retained to oversee the project as he had been engineering new mills, restoring old ones, and installing water wheels for over 5 decades. Mr. Campbell remained a close family friend until his passing in the early 1990s.

After an extensive search of West Virginia and Virginia in 1976 my father purchased a defunct mill in Mt. Jackson, VA from Mr. Fred Frederickson. The mill consisted of an overshot wheel measuring 24 feet in diameter with a 60 inch face as well as other related gearing and pulleys. Under the guidance of Mr. Campbell the mill was disassembled and removed to the fabrication shop of Mr. Gerald Conklin of Honesdale, PA. Mr. Conklin was a self-taught master machinist, welder, and fabricator who had collaborated on many projects with Mr. Campbell including the restoration of Mr. Campbell's original 1924 Wayside Inn Mill in Sudbury, MA.

Using the best remaining 1/6 section as a pattern for fabrication, six new wheel sections were created using Corten steel. Corten steel is a specialty steel that resists rust and deterioration as it develops a rich patina over time.  The soling plate, the rims, and the bucket steel were procured from and were cut to specification by a Philadelphia, PA. The soling plate for the wheel is 3/16 of an inch thick and the rims and the bucket and rims are 1/8 of inch in thickness.

Mr. Conklin fabricated the new wheel on a custom-made  jig  on which the soling plate and rims could be laid in and adjusted to meet the desired arc.  The jig helped to ensure  that all six sections would be fabricated identically. In order to create the most efficient and historically accurate replication all of the 72 buckets were cold rolled to create the same bucket curvature.  Mr. Conklin trimmed the inside corners of the buckets so that the incoming water can  better displace the air and fill more efficiently just as the original. The result is a new wheel comprised of six numbered sections when assembled. 

In 1979 my father purchased the Cloverdale Mill near Roanoke, VA for the bearings as Mt. Jackson wheel used Lignum Vitae bearings.

The Mt. Jackson wheel and bull gear were mounted on the same 6.4375 inch shaft; the 100 inch bull gear (which was on the interior of the mill)  interfaced with a 26 inch pinion gear. The 26 inch pinion and the  86 inch wooden silencer gear were mounted on the same shaft. The silencer gear then interfaced with a 22 inch pinion gear which is mounted on the same shaft as a 90 inch flat belt pulley. The 90 inch pulley was connected via a wide leather belt to a small diameter wooden flat pulley which was deemed not salvageable at the time of purchase.

This wheel has tremendous potential whether it is used as an architectural/decorative element, an off-grid setup for energy independence, or as a replacement wheel for a historical mill or attraction. The essential parts are all here to create a visual and practical set-up. 

The wheel sections, hubs/axle assembly, the spokes and gearing have been in dry,  sheltered storage for over thirty years.  It's time for them to find a new home.

The offering includes the following: 

-1- overshot water wheel 24 inches in diameter by a 5 foot face comprised of six individual sections; fabricated with Corten steel;

-1- axle/hub assembly comprised of a 16' long by 6.4375" in diameter shaft  with -2- 12 spoke hubs for the 24 foot by 5 foot wheel; 

-3- complete pillow-block and  bearing sets  with new recast bronze sleeves for a 6.4375 inch axle/hub assembly; -1-  half of lower bearing without a recast sleeve.

-24- spokes original and/or new spoke material measuring 12 feet by 5 inches by three quarter of an inch;  replacement spokes will require holes to be bored and angle bend and taper to seat into hub; 

-1- single cast bull gear intact showing no signs of cracking or repair measuring  100 inches in diameter with a 6.5 inch face; 90 teeth; For a 6.4375  inch axle;

-1- silencer gear measuring  86 inches in diameter with a 7 inch face; set up for 136 wooden (hard maple silencing teeth); for a 3.75 inch axle; the gear has been repaired due to cracks at some point in its history; hard rock maple teeth will need to be cut;

-1-  flat belt pulley measuring 90 inches diameter with a 14 inch face for a 3.5625 inch axle showing no repairs or cracks; it is a bolt together 2 piece assembly;

-1- pinion gear intact; 22 inches diameter by 7.625 inch face; 32 teeth; mounted on a 3.75 inch diameter machined axle 75 inches long with a 24 inch section measuring 4.37 inches in diameter; 

-1- pinion gear intact showing no signs of repair or cracking 26 inches in diameter by 6.5 inch face; 30 teeth; mounted on a 3.5625 inch axle 76 inches long;

-4- complete sets of original babbitt bearings poured for the 3.375 inch and 3.5625 inch axles;

-1-  pinion gear 30 inches in diameter by 5.875 inch face; 35 teeth; mounted on a 9 foot by 3.375 inch shaft from the Cloverdale Mill;

-1-  bearing housing babbitt poor for a 3.75 inch diameter shaft from the Cloverdale Mill;

-1- pillow block stand 10.5 inches overall width by 35 inches overall height by 54 inches overall length from the Cloverdale Mill;

-2- custom made loading and positioning jigs.

Estimated weight for the components and the six rebuilt sections of the wheel is 17,500 to 20,000 lbs.  The wheel and listed parts can be nested to fit onto one flat bed semi-trailer.  

All parts have been stored indoors for the past 30  years. 

When my father was looking for an old mill to purchase he often commented that although he could locate them, often in poor but salvageable condition, the owner wouldn't sell citing their family association with mill.  My father referred to  these "oxidative memorials."  I don't wish for this wheel and parts to fall into that classification or be scraped for pennies on the dollar. 

I am happy to answer any questions and have discussions about the wheel and pricing from interested, serious buyers or organizations.    My intent is to find a new home for the wheel and components whether it is in private hands or a public venue. The wheel and all noted parts and accessories are offered for sale in whole. 

Additional work will be required in order to make the wheel operational. 

All attempts have been made to represent the history, the dimensions, and related details as accurately as possible; however, if questions arise or additional information is wanted, please feel free to contact me.