Glen Rose Reporter"Barnard was a true pioneer, a dreamer and in today’s world would be described as an entrepreneur who was taking care of business at hand. He saw opportunity knocking at his door and made exciting things happen in this small area of what would become an integral part in the history of Central Texas.
The stories are varied and those who tell the tales can only repeat what they have learned from their ancestors and from the stories they have written.
As in all histories, there are truths and fiction, repeated tales of days gone by.
The establishment of a trading post near the banks of Paluxy River by Barnard and a fellow named Herman Quimby both figured prominently in the settling of Somervell County and Glen Rose. Barnard, the astute thinker, decided a grist mill would be a lucrative addition.
Settlers were moving closer and in preparation for those new settlers, Barnard contracted with Milam County for a quarter section of land on which the original site of Barnard’s Mill is still located. He promised to build a flour and grist mill in return for receiving the title.
Shelby Stanfield and his brother, Jake, had the contract for the masonry of the structure. Barnard furnished two gigantic slaves, Jeff and Virgil, as helpers. David McCoy was the carpenter.
The foundation for the mill was laid upon the solid limestone bed of the Paluxy River. The building is 40 by 60 feet, three stories high, and had a mill race passing through the basement. The race would supply water power for the grind.
The 28-inch thick walls of the third floor have small port holes on each side. The walls of the second story are 30 inches thick. The 12-inch-by-12-inch timbers are hand-hewn, as are the huge oak beams brought from East Texas by ox-drawn wagons.
The ground floor walls are some 36 inches and the basement where the water flowed has now been filled and the race has long disappeared. In the great room on the ground floor you can still see the upper portion of the stone arches that supported the building.
The construction of Barnard’s Mill is an architect’s dream. This project was well planned and the turbine engine, which operated the wheel, was the first of its kind to be put in place in Texas.
The wheel operated in the lower floor, which would be located under the “Great Room.” Its shaft ran through the middle of the first and up to what is now the second floor.
The miller’s rock was located in this area. It ground the meal and flour which was bagged and weighed as the farmers brought their grain to the mill. A portion of each job was given in payment for the grind.
Barnard soon had wagons taking meal to market as far away as Waco and selling and trading for supplies needed in town. Business was booming in “Barnardsville.”
Barnard had settled in and began operation of the grist mill, grinding flour from the grains and cornmeal from the corn. He built a home across the street from the mill for his wife, Juana, and began raising his family.
Juana and Charles soon tired of the city life and Charles Barnard made the decision to return to the Comanche Peak Trading post near the Brazos. On April 24, 1874, he sold the mill to T.C. Jordan of Dallas.
Jordan is the next character drawn to Barnard’s Mill. He, too, was a planner and a dreamer. He laid out the plat for the town of Glen Rose and sold parcels of lots to local investors who also dreamed of their new town.
The organized citizens soon saw the need to make application to the State of Texas for establishing a county. The history of Somervell County officially began in April 1875, with the selection of a county seat and the election was organized.
As a result of the election, the town of Glen Rose was selected as the county seat. Jordan began his construction of a building that would become the first county courthouse of the newly established Somervell County.
But before the structure was halfway finished, Jordan began to experience financial difficulties. On Jan. 7, 1893, he sold the mill to A.J. Price.
Price operated the grist mill and, with the growing need, added a cotton gin. The gin was powered by a steam compress and the old smokestack could be seen for many years.
The cotton seed was stored in the silo still standing on the grounds. Cotton soon became king and the wagons were often lined west of Barnard street from Riverside Park past the courthouse and to the bend of the street on East Barnard.
Empty lots around town were stacked high with cotton bales awaiting transport to the railroad. The hum of the engines could be heard day and night.
Around World War I, the mill was no longer producing and was closed for business. On April 2, 1943, after Price’s death, his widow and son sold the quiet old mill to Dr. J.J. Hanna.
Dr. Hanna converted the property into a clinic specializing in the popular “Healing Waters” for a number of years. It is said there were three wells and each delivered water with a different mineral content.
Dr. Hanna then recruited medical doctors to work with his daughter, Dr. Mildred Hanna, and their growing practice. The hospital expanded and soon established delivery and operating rooms.
By 1949, it was a full service hospital. Dr. Roger Marks joined the staff in 1949 and then Dr. Robert D. English. Several other doctors passed through the hospital during these few years.
After the deaths of Dr. Hanna and his daughter, the hospital complex was sold on Dec. 30, 1955, to Dr. Marks and Dr. English. The establishment became known as the Marks-English Hospital. Serving the town and surrounding communities, the hospital finally outgrew its location and the doctors realized it was time to relocate to a more serviceable facility.
A new hospital was completed and once again the old mill complex stood empty awaiting a new adventure.
On Aug. 2, 1979, the Marks-English hospital was sold to Richard H. Moore Jr. Moore, a retired attorney from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, owed a ranch near Chalk Mountain. He had passed the old mill and hospital many times and became enamored with the historical aspect and spent years renovating the buildings.
In 1986, Barnard’s Mill became his private residence and the hospital addition became known as Barnard’s Mill Art Museum. Barnard’s Mill became a showcase for the many lovely antiques and the hospital addition held Moore’s art collections.
In 2005, Moore decided to move back to Fort Worth. For two years he observed the local historical organizations, searching for one to take over the mill’s preservation.
In making his decision he chose the Somervell History Foundation for this great gift. As his designated choice, both Barnard’s Mill and Art Museum accepted the charge of preserving, restoring and promoting of the landmark facility.
This task is being undertaken phases, the first of which began in 2009 when the SHF received its first matching funds grant from the Texas Historical Commission. Membership, projects and donations serve to provide funds for their part in restoration.
Today, Barnard’s Mill and Art Museum is listed with the National Register of Historic Places, Texas Historic Landmark and is a State Archeological Landmark.
The establishment is open each weekend to the public for tours and has several highlight events each year. For more information, visit www.barnardsmill.org."