Mill Power System

In 1830, the Prallsville Mills were powered by water impounded by a dam across the Wickecheoke Creek several hundred yards upstream, forming the Upper Mill Pond. Water then flowed through a headrace to the Lower Mill Pond, which stood above the surrounding landscape so the water could drop onto the mill's waterwheels. From the lower pond, water ran through races into the grist mill, saw mill, and oil mill. Exhaust water from the saw and grist mills emptied directly into the Wickecheoke Creek, while exhaust water from the oil mill was released into a small stream flowing to the Delaware River. After the Delaware and Raritan Canal was built in 1834, it intercepted the Wickecheoke Creek just before the creek entered the Delaware River and raised the creek's water level behind the grist mill by 8 to 10 feet, preventing the mill from discharging exhaust water to the creek. The Canal Company agreed to supply canal water to the mill and built a stone culvert under the canal to carry exhaust water directly to the Delaware River. Its agreement to provide enough water to power 3 millstones, and 4 if that could be done without harming the canal, gave the Prallsville Mill a tremendous opportunity because canal water was more plentiful and reliable than creek water, which could nearly run dry during mild droughts and often froze in winter.

Stockton, New Jersey · United States