The Harlan-Chandler Mill Complex, Part II

Abram Chandler House

In the last post, we took a look at the 3-story, fieldstone house that turned out to have been built within the shell of the 1815 Harlan grist mill. In this post, we'll turn our eyes to the other house in the complex, the Abram Chandler House. The dwelling is a 2 1/2 story brick structure, with five bays, a centered door, and three dormers. There is also a full-sized ell built onto the rear of the house.

According to the 1987 DelDot report, Abram Chandler purchased the mill and property from the Harlan family in 1852, then conveyed the property the same year to Samuel Chandler, probably his son or brother. Samuel then sold the property back to Abram in 1863. It's unclear whether Samuel operated the mill during that 11 year period, or whether Abram did. It's quite likely, though, that sometime not long after 1863 Abram was looking for a larger, newer home. He built it, right next to his mill.

The DelDot report goes no further than stating that the house was in place by 1871, citing an inscription in a window with that date. I, however, think I can push the date back a few years, as a house is shown in this location on the 1868 Beers map. Whatever the exact date, suffice it to say the house was built in the mid to late 1860's. The ornamental iron-work porch shown in the picture above was not original to the house, but was added sometime in the early 1900's. Also of note, the small concrete wall also shown in the picture is actually the bridge that once carried Old Milltown Road across the millrace leading to the mill. Below is a section of the 1868 map showing the area.

As the map shows, the Milltown intersection was a bit different before the roads were widened, then shifted, in 1922 and 1964. In fact, when Abram Chandler built his house, it was across Milltown Road from the mill. Remnants of the original Milltown and Limestone Roads are still being used by the current owners as a driveway and access road. Much may have changed over the years in the Milltown area, but these two houses, the former Harlan Grist Mill and the Abram Chandler House, remain as quiet reminders of the little hamlet's past.