Prallsville Mills

Daniel Howell built a wooden grist mill at the juncture of the Wickeckeoke Creek and the Delaware River circa 1720. It prospered under a succession of owners through the 18th Century and was sold to John Prall, Jr. in 1794. Prall launched a development program that included a new stone grist mill to replace the wooden one that Howell had built. He also built a saw mill, several stone houses and a stone structure that served various purposes (including an office and a store.) Prall opened a stone quarry in the area and operated two fisheries in the Delaware River, making the community of Prallsville a major commercial center for the rural countryside. Throughout the 19th Century, Prallsville remained an important commercial center. When the grist mill caught fire and was severely damaged in 1874, it was rebuilt and reopened for business by 1877. The present stone mill, the 1877 building, was built on the foundation of Prall’s mill and continued to function into the 1950’s. In the 1950’s the property, no longer used as a mill, began to deteriorate. It was put up for sale as an attractive site for townhouses. A local resident, Donald Jones, purchased the site in 1969 and held it until the State could afford to purchase it in 1973. The Prallsville Mills were included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The entire property became part of the D and R Canal State Park in 1974.