Spofford Saw Mill

Built on a stone foundation, the Spofford Saw Mill was built in Georgetown, Massachusetts in the late 1600's by John (or possibly son Abner - or both) Spofford. Lumber from this mill was used to make houses, barns, shops, and possibly ships. As with the Tripp Mill (located elsewhere in Greenfield Village), this, too, is an "up-and-down" saw mill, and is one of the earliest water-run saw mills still in existence. The vertical blade flashes up and down while suspended between the two floors of the building, hence, the name "up and down" saw mill.Saw mills were one of the first mills built in local communities, for they supplied the lumber to build all other establishments as well as so many of the household goods and furniture.
This mill remained in the Spofford family until the mid-1800's, continuing to serve the community by its new owners until 1925.

From what I understand, the Spofford Mill is not all original. In fact, the majority of it was constructed inside the Village in 1940 with new material, using only a large structoral support beam and little else from the original building, although some of the equipment inside is original.

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