Water Wheel @ John Herr Grist Mill - Ronks, PA - Working Water Wheels on Waymarking.com

This water wheel is attached to the rear of this old stone house on an unidentified farmstead. This is Amish Country so these things can be found up and down this water source. The Wheel was painted red at one time but it looks a little beat up now and in need of some more paint.

John Herr, built the first grist mill/saw mill at this site on the Pequea in 1738-40. The second mill was built by Johns grandson, Squire John Herr, about 1803. The flour, grist, and saw mill was also at times used to grind coen meal and as a distillery.

The mill’s two turbines, that produced about 25 barrels of flour in its heyday, were supplied by Pequea waters via a 1500’ headrace from an 8’ dam. A 1200’ tailrace completed the cycle. The mill was closed in 1924.

At Soudersburg on US 30/Lincon Hwy E, take S Soudersburg Road SW for 0.6 miles to the junction with S Ronks Road. Turn left, cross the Pequea Creek past the bypassed covered bridge and turn left into Mill-Bridge Village.

SOURCE

After some more reading it appears this is a tourist spot which allows visitors to see how a water wheel works. John Herr Mill, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Various sources indicate that this fine old stone mill dates from the 18th century, with dates between 1738 and 1760 found (it ceased operations in 1924); however, it does not appear to be on the National Register of Historic Places, even though the adjacent covered bridge (preceding photos) is. The mill is on the grounds of Mill Bridge Village Campresort west of the town of Paradise (on South Ronks Road at Soudersburg Road). Because we were there about 7:30 in the evening, we were not able to see the mill up close, but it is open (admission is charged) and reportedly demonstrates both water-wheel and turbine technologies for powering the milling process. . SOURCE