Old Grist Mill (Blow-Me-Down Mill)

Site: N08-11
Municipality: Cornish, NH
Location: Route 12A
Site Type: Mill/Industry.

With the help of George Fletcher Babb, another architect associated with McKim, Mead & White, he built a gristmill, hiring Benjamin Small of Plainfield as miller. The turbines, purchased from John Tyler in nearby Claremont, were augmented in 1892 by Ernest English of Hartland, Vermont, with a dynamo in the mill and motor in the Beaman barn, producing electricity for the house, casino, and barn. Beaman had guide boards (fences) built along the roadside from his house to the bridge. These were a safety measure along the steep riverbank as guides for horses, drivers, and carriages. He planted orchards of apples, pears, plums, and even peaches, both standard and dwarf trees. He moved roads and buildings alike, improving and enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the area.
(Source 166:33)