Nathan Cooper Gristmill
66 Route 24
Chester, NJ 07930
(908) 879-5463
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Cooper_Gristmill
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nathan%20Cooper%20Gristmill/495480777136425/#
Open: Sunday 10:00am-3:00pm/Monday-Thursday Closed/Friday 10:00am-4:00pm/Saturday Closed
Admission: $5.00 for everyone for everyone taking the tour; For special events it might be a different fee. Walking around the grounds is free.
My review on TripAdvisor:
The location of the Cooper Gristmill:
(from the Cooper Gristmill website)
Located on 14 acres along the Black River, the Gristmill is the only restored water-powered mill in New Jersey and is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. It’s a living example of the state’s transition from an agricultural to an industrial economy. Costumed staff lead guided tours of the mill, running restored machinery to harness the power of the Black River to grind grains, using two sets of massive 2,000-pound mills
The Nathan Cooper Gristmill
The sign welcoming you to the site
I spent an afternoon walking the grounds of the Nathan Cooper Gristmill after a trip to Hacklebarney Park and was able to tour the outside of the mill and the pathways around the property.
The historic sign welcoming you to the site
The front of the mill building
The front of the old mill had been decorated for the “250th Anniversary” of the nation and the grounds were really beautiful. The mill lined the Black River in the back of it and the lawns were filled with lush trees. The mill was not open for the day but you could walk around the grounds.
The Washington Turnpike historic sign
The front grounds and the water pump
The water pump marker in the front of the building
The water pumps at the front of the mills were closed off at this point but must have been used as a water source for the people working there at the time.
The stairway to the back of the mill
The pump by the front of the stairs
The back of the building is where the water wheel is located by the Black River water source. When I took the tour later the next month, the tour guide showed me how it worked. The mill is still a functioning mill and they still do produce flour for sale but on a limited basis.
The waterwheel that moved all the equipment inside
The Waterwheel and the water source to power it
The waterwheel
The history of the Water Wheel:
The Fitz water wheel was made in 1927 for a mill in Pennsylvania that burned down before it could be installed. It was then purchased for a mill in Pottersville, NJ in 1935 and powered until 1955. In 1974, the wheel was donated to the Morris County Park Commission and moved to the Cooper Gristmill (Cooper Gristmill pamphlet).
The video of the waterwheel working:
The historic sign on the waterwheel and the water source
The pathway to the Black River and the trails
The back trails of the gristmill have the most beautiful views of the river and the steams around the property. At the end of the Summer of 2026, it offers the most amazing views of the grounds. All the trees were still in bloom and the trails take you far back into the park. I just walked to the river stream and looked at the small waterfalls. This was the water source that powered the mill.
The historic sign on the Black River
The grounds and paths along the river are really picturesque but watch the paths when the paths are wet. It can be a muddy experience.
The Black River from the trails
The Black River water source
Video of my walk along the river:
The history of the Cooper Gristmill:
(from the site pamphlet)
A gristmill was apparently built at this site in the early 1700’s by the first Europeans to settle the Chester area. Records show that is was offered for sale in 1761. Later in the 18th century, it was owned by Ellis Howell. The property was purchased by Nathan Cooper in 1825 and then Cooper rebuilt the mill in 1826, since the original structure had been damaged by an earlier fire. This is the mill building that remains standing.
Following the death of Nathan Cooper in 1826, the mill was passed to his nephew, Nathan A. Cooper. The younger Cooper, who became one of Chester’s wealthiest and most important citizens, owned the mill property until his death in 1879.
Mills were built at close intervals. In 1832, the town of Chester reported five sawmills and three gristmills. Surrounding these mills were small settlements that developed followed by good roads so that the farmers could haul their grain to the site. Soon it was followed by a blacksmith shop and a general store. This was the beginning of the town of Milltown, later called “Milldale”.
Once in the forefront of technology and economic progress, village gristmills had become largely obsolete by the end of the 19th century. By then, milling had become a vast factory enterprise and the dynamic railroad system made it possible to ship grain and flour over great distances. No longer the bustling centers of activity, mills like the Cooper Gristmill came to be viewed as relics of a bucolic past.
In modern times and now restored, the mill once again hums with activity. The water wheel has been replaced and some of the mill’s mechanical equipment has been put back into place and now operates. In the place of farmers with wagon loads of grain, busses filled with school children arrive to see the millstones once again grinding flour. Cooper Gristmill and the Village of Milltown are good examples of the many small agricultural and industrial communities that once dotted the landscape of Morris County, NJ.
The back pathway to the front of the site
The first floor:
When I toured the facility a week later when the museum was open, I got a glimpse inside the mill’s past and how it was the economic engine of the area during Colonial times. The inside of the mill was in working shape and was still being used to produce flour when in season.
The first floor of the mill
The inside entrance to the mill on the first floor with the fireplace to the left and the millstones to the right. The stairs led to three floors of the workings of the mills from grinding to bagging and shipping of the flour produced by local wheat.
The inside framework of the mill in the process of milling wheat
The large gears that made these rocks special waterwheel work that harnessed the Black River power source. The river and lake that have been dammed are across the street.
The millstones for the grinding of wheat
The millstones on the first floor of the mill
The millstones used to process flour
The second floor:
The second floor of the mill displays contain the office of the manage of the mill, the flour separating area for the grades of flour and the old bagging area of the flour product for shipping.
The recreation of the manager’s office
The milling and bagging area
The flour processing machine
The flour grade sorting machine is off to the left. The machine would sort the grades of flour based on the weight and bulk.
The machines processing and sorting the milled wheat
Pieces of millstones
Pieces of the millstones used in the production. The pieces would be shipped individually and then assembled when they arrived at the mills because of their sheer weight.
The attic room
The Attic:
The attic was the last part of the tour and where a lot of the inner workings of the mill were located. Just watch your head.
The Visitors Center:
When I finished the inside tour of the mill museum, I returned to the Visitors Center with the tour guide where a small museum on historic Morris County and the county’s rural past and development was displayed.
The small museum inside the Visitors Center
The inside of the museum tells the story of the development of Morris County, NJ
The small gift shop inside the museum
After the tour of the inside of the mill and museum was over, I explored the grounds of the property and admired the foliage. I decided to explore the power source of the mill on the advice of the tour guide who was preparing to close up for the day.
The grounds of the mill building and the beautiful surrounding foliage
The tunnel under the road taking you to the damned river and the lake on the other side of the road.
The video of the walk through the tunnel:
The path underneath the tunnel lead to the lake that was the original and still the power source to the mill. It still makes the water wheel run and is its source of power.
The lake and the waterfall are the source of power for the mill
The Water source of the Cooper Gristmill:
(from the Cooper Gristmill site pamphlet)
Unlike the electric machinery of today. the water powered gristmill drew upon the natural environment for its power. The miller chose a location close to a water course that has a drop in elevation. A dam was built to form a pond that would store the water needed to power the mill even in the dry summer months.
A sturdy building was required to support the water wheel and its associated machinery. The water was brought from the pond in a wooden trough, headrace or flume. The height from which the water would fall when it reached the mill was called the ‘head’. It determined the amount of power that could be generated. A tailrace carried the water away from the wheel and returned it to the stream. The turning shaft of the water wheel transferred its mechanical power into the mill. The gears and belts then transmitted the power throughout the building. The four sets of millstones at the Cooper Gristmill originally required two water wheels to operate.
The mill was often the social center of an agricultural community and the miller was a community leader. The miller lived nearby in order to attend to the constant stream of customers and keep his machinery in good order.
The beautiful foliage on this side of the road
I walked through the pathway and looked into the pond to see the small waterfalls in the distance. The foliage colors on the background of the water was quite spectacular.
The Visitors Center and the mill complex from the other side of the road
It was a very interesting visit to see part of New Jersey’s manufacturing past and how it was still being utilized in the present. The tour guide explained that at certain times of the year, they still mill flour and sell it to the public.
So it is still a working mill in production and you can still see that production in the warmer months. You can also buy the finished product on premise.
Not only is it an interesting tour but the surrounding foliage in the Fall is breathtaking. It really was a fascinating tour of New Jersey’s past.
Take you time and enjoy the paths and trails around the mill building
In the whole time I toured the gristmill did the tour guide say the place was haunted. I never saw or felt anything but according to many videos, the place is haunted.
The Ghost Investigation
The Nathan Cooper Gristmill is an early example of Colonial Manufacturing in New Jersey.
LikeLiked by 1 person