Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site

Significant dates
Watkins Woolen Mill State Park
Missouri State Park
Watkins Mill
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Clay

City	Lawson

Elevation	896 ft (273 m) ^[1]
Coordinates	39°24′04″N 94°15′37″W / 39.40111°N 94.26028°W / 39.40111; -94.26028Coordinates: 39°24′04″N 94°15′37″W / 39.40111°N 94.26028°W / 39.40111; -94.26028 ^[1]

Area	1,442 acres (584 ha) ^[2]

Established	1964 ^[3]
Management	Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Visitation	479,138 (2014) ^[4]

Location in Missouri
Website: Watkins Mill State Park
Watkins Mill
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Nearest city	Excelsior Springs, Missouri
Area	560 acres (230 ha)
Built	1860
Architect	Watkins,Waltus; et al.
Architectural style	No style listed
NRHP Reference #	66000416
Added to NRHP	September 28, 1983^[5]
Designated NHLD	November 13, 1966^[6]

Watkins Mill, in Lawson, Missouri, is a preserved woolen mill dating to the mid-19th century. The mill is protected as Watkins Mill State Historic Site, which preserve its machinery and business records in addition to the building itself. The historic site is the centerpiece of 1,442-acre (584 ha) Watkins Woolen Mill State Park. The property became part of the Missouri state parks system in 1964.^[3] It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.^[6]

History

The octagonal schoolhouse in 1975.

Watkins Mill was built in 1859-1860 by Waltus Watkins, who called it Bethany Plantation. Watkins built housing for the mill workers nearby, creating one of the first planned communities in North America. The community was effectively self-sufficient, the mill producing yarn and wool cloth. The mill operated at capacity until 1886, two years after Watkins' death. From 1886 to the turn of the twentieth century production declined. Nearly all of the mill machinery has been preserved, including a 65-horsepower steam engine that powered the factory.^[5]

The site also includes the Watkins house, dating to 1850.^[7] The twelve-room, 2½-story house includes three staircases, the main stair detailed in carved walnut. It remained a Watkins family home until 1945.^[5]

The Franklin School, or Octagonal School,^[7] is an octagonal schoolhouse built in 1856 and used by the Watkins family and their employees until the mid-1870s, when it became a residence for mill workers. The unusual octagonal building was built of locally manufactured brick on Watkins land.^[5]

The Watkins' also donated the land for Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, built in 1871 to replace a log church dating to the 1850s. Of the $5000 construction cost, more than half was donated by Watkins.^[5]

State park

The recreation area of the state park has 96 campsites, most of which have electric hookups, and many of which are available year-round.^[8] A 100-acre (40 ha) lake supports fishing for bass, catfish, crappie and sunfish and has a large sand swimming beach. A 3.8-mile (6.1 km) asphalt bicycling and walking trail follows the shoreline of the lake, and there is a separate 3.5-mile (5.6 km) equestrian trail.^[9]

References

1 2 "Watkins Mill State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
↑ "Watkins Mill State Park: Preamble for the Conceptual Development Plan". Missouri State Parks. Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
1 2 "Historic Site History at Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site". Missouri State Parks. Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
↑ "Missouri State Park Attendance (2014)" (PDF). Missouri State Parks. 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
1 2 3 4 5 Lissandrello, Stephen (April 2, 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Watkins Mill" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
1 2 "Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: Missouri" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
1 2 "Photographs of Watkins Mill, house and schoolhouse" (PDF). NRHP database. National Park Service. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
↑ "Camping at Watkins Mill State Park". Missouri State Parks. Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
↑ "Watkins Mill State Park". Missouri State Parks. Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved October 1, 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Watkins Woolen Mill.

Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Friends of Watkins Woolen Mill Watkins Mill Association

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

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Protected areas of Missouri

Federal

National Monuments:	George Washington Carver

National Historic Sites:	Harry S Truman Ulysses S. Grant

National Battlefields:	Wilson's Creek

National Memorials:	Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

National Wildlife Refuges:	Big Muddy Clarence Cannon Great River Middle Mississippi River Mingo Ozark Cavefish Pilot Knob Squaw Creek Swan Lake Two Rivers

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Other Protected Areas:	Ozark National Scenic Riverways

State

State Parks:	Babler Sam A. Baker Bennett Spring Big Lake Big Oak Tree Big Sugar Creek Castlewood Crowder Cuivre River Current River Don Robinson Echo Bluff Elephant Rocks Finger Lakes Graham Cave Grand Gulf Ha Ha Tonka Harry S Truman Hawn Johnson's Shut-Ins Jones-Confluence Point Katy Trail Knob Noster Lake of the Ozarks Lake Wappapello Lewis and Clark Long Branch Mark Twain Meramec Montauk Morris Onondaga Cave Pershing Pomme de Terre Prairie Roaring River Rock Island Trail Robertsville Rock Bridge Memorial Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry Route 66 St. Francois St. Joe Stockton Table Rock Taum Sauk Mountain Thousand Hills Trail of Tears Van Meter Wakonda Wallace Washington Watkins Woolen Mill Weston Bend

State Historic Sites:	Arrow Rock Battle of Athens Battle of Carthage Battle of Island Mound Battle of Lexington Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio Bollinger Mill Nathan Boone Homestead Boone's Lick Bothwell Lodge Clark's Hill/Norton Confederate Memorial Deutschheim Dillard Mill Gov. Daniel Dunklin's Grave Felix Vallé House First Missouri State Capitol Fort Davidson Gen. John J. Pershing Boyhood Home Harry S Truman Birthplace Hunter-Dawson Iliniwek Village Jefferson Landing Jewell Cemetery Locust Creek Covered Bridge Mark Twain Birthplace Mastodon Missouri Mines Missouri State Capitol Missouri State Museum Osage Village Sandy Creek Covered Bridge Sappington Cemetery Scott Joplin House Towosahgy Union Covered Bridge Watkins Woolen Mill

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