West Virginia’s hillsides and hollers are filled with the rich heritage of the generations of lives lived within them, and many historic old buildings still stand in testament to those men and women who have come before, in what many now see as an older, simpler time. One such building is Fidler’s Mill in Arlington, near Buckhannon in Upsher County, West Virginia.
Perched along the banks of the Little Kanawha River roughly between the West Virginia Wildlife Center and Holly River State Park, Fidler's Mill is one of the few remnants of a once thriving community.
In an older time when folks stayed close to home and knew the simplicity of fewer options, Fidler's Mill was the cornerstone of the close-knit community of Arlington, West Virginia.
In the mid to late 1800s, folks who visited the mill to grind their wheat, buckwheat, and corn could also buy animal feed, get a haircut, and bring their wool to be picked and carded, all within the mill walls. Then they could pay a visit to the sawmill, blacksmith, or general store right next door.
While many of the original buildings surrounding the mill are long gone, you can still see remnants of this bygone era if you are lucky enough to catch the mill open for tours, usually on Saturday afternoons. Inside, the mill is filled with the furniture and equipment of its working years.
But even if you can't enter Fidler's Mill when you visit, the walk around the premises is well worth the trip, because in addition to the historic structure, first built in 1821, you're in for a treat courtesy of the many small waterfalls dotting this portion of the Little Kanawha River.
So bring a camera and enjoy a stroll through an area that will remind you of an older, simpler time in our state's history... simpler in terms of options and community, but definitely not in terms of the work that those who have gone before us put into making a life for themselves in these mountains!
Did you know about Fidler’s Mill? Have you visited it before? If you love historical buildings like this one, be sure to visit Cook’s Old Mill in Monroe County as well!
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