Fell Spice Mill



Fell Spice Mill, 1873

So far on this site, we've looked at a number of different types of mills -- grist mills, saw mills, woolen mills, and iron mills, just to name a few. But there is one type that we haven't seen yet, and for a very good reason. Not only was it unique in the Red Clay Valley or Mill Creek Hundred, it was the only one of its kind in the entire state! The Fell Spice Mill at Faulkland (Faulkland Road and Red Clay Creek) was, for a time, a very successful enterprise, but one that was ultimately doomed by a series of misfortunes.

This is one of those posts where it's challenging to even figure out where to start, because there's probably enough history in the Faulkland area for about a half dozen posts or more. The location originally was the site of Oliver Evans' (who deserves a whole book to himself) innovative grist mill, then was owned by William Foulk (who lent his name to the area). Foulk sold the property to the Fells, who operated the world-renowned spice mill for most of the 19th century. Under the Fells, who were quite an interesting family in their own right and were closely entwined with the neighboring Brandywine Springs enterprises, Faulkland grew to be a small community, one that is now listed on the National Register as the Fells Lane Historic District. Even within the district, there are several houses that would be worthy of their own posts. This time, though, we'll focus on the centerpiece of the milling community, the Spice Mill itself.

The Fell Era began in the area in 1828, when Jonathan Fell, who had fallen in love with the area after visiting the newly-opened Brandywine Springs resort next door, purchased the Foulk flour mill for use by his Philadelphia-based spice company. It's not clear if Fell used the old Evans/Foulk mill for spices at all, or if he immediately built a new and larger spice mill. My guess, since the spice mill was much larger than an 18th century grist mill, is that Fell probably built the first of the spice mills fairly quickly. Whether it went up before his death in 1829 is unknown. Also, as late as the mid-1890's, long after spice milling had ceased at the site, a grist mill was listed as being at the site. I think it's more likely that this was the old mill, kept operating for custom and merchant work alongside the larger spice mill.

After Jonathan Fell's death, the company was taken over by his sons, Courtland J. and Thomas Jenks Fell, and renamed "C.J. Fell & Brother". Under the brothers, the business thrived. The variety of spices milled at the Faulkland site is quite impressive, as is shown in the c.1860's poster below (the spice mill and Fell Mansion can be seen in the picture at the top). Among other things, the mill ground pepper, mustard, chocolate, ginger, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, cassia, nutmeg, coffee, baking powder, hominy, and grits. Additionally, there was also some canning and labeling done at the site. The rest was shipped to Philadelphia, where it was packaged and sold all over the world. C.J. Fell & Brother products won numerous awards, and had a well-earned reputation for having the highest quality. They would sell lesser products to others for resale, but only the highest quality spices could bear the Fell name.
 

C.J. Fell & Brother advertising poster


 When Thomas Jenks Fell passed away in 1836, Courtland moved to Faulkland to oversee the mill personally (and likely built his mansion on the hill at that time), and their younger brother Franklin was brought into the firm. Upon Courtland's death in 1848, Franklin Fell assumed full ownership of the business. Franklin would grow the company even more, and, like the other members of his family, was involved in a variety of business and philanthropic endeavors. Of local interest, he purchased the failing Brandywine Springs Hotel property in the mid-1860's (with the ultimately unsuccessful idea of donating it to the Episcopal Church), he was a major investor (and Vice-President) of the newly-formed Wilmington & Western Railroad, and he built several tenant houses on his property, which now form much of the Fells Lane Historic District.


Fell Spice Mill, before 1867 fire

First spice mill, after 1867 fire

 





As for the spice mill itself, the first calamity occurred in 1867, the same year Franklin Fell retired from the business. Just a few short months after his son, William Jenks Fell, took over the company, the mill was completely consumed in a fire. As best as I can tell, this mill, which may or may not have been an enlargement of the Evans/Foulk mill, was the one shown in the photos above -- both before and just after the fire. Whatever its origins, by 1865 the stone-walled mill was three stories high, and measured 90 x 35 feet. After the fire, milling operations were temporarily moved to another site (possibly the Harlan Mill, then owned by Abram Chandler [Edit: The temporary mill used was that of Abraham Cannon in Milltown, later the site of the Locust Grove Farm dairy.]), and a new, larger mill was constructed. This new mill, however, would not operate for long. It, too, was destroyed in a fire, this one in 1874 (see picture below). They may not have realized it at the time, but this second fire was pretty much the end of C.J. Fell & Brother.

 

Last spice mill, 1895



Possible end wall of spice mill





As with the first fire, insurance covered some of the cost of rebuilding, but the conflagrations took their toll on the company's finances. After Franklin Fell died in 1875, financial and legal troubles caused William Jenks Fell to suspend the company's operations. The Faulkland mill was rebuilt again (judging from the evidence, I'd say the walls were left intact, and just the interior was rebuilt), but was leased out to another company. Unfortunately for them, like tragic clockwork, the mill burned for a third and final time in 1878. This would be the end of spice milling in Mill Creek Hundred. The grist mill seems to have continued in operation, as it is listed as late as 1894 in a state directory. The last remains of the spice mill were torn down sometime after 1895, leaving only a vague outline of its foundation in front of the Miller's House on Faulkland Road. The only other hint of its existence is what I believe may be part of the east end of the foundation, parallel to the creek, as shown in the picture above. Other than that and the remaining houses in the historic district, very little today would hint at the area's unique industrial past.