Avondale Mill

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

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{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Avondale Mill

| nrhp_type =

| image = Avondale Mill Site Laurel MD Jan 11.JPG

| caption = Avondale Mill Site, January 2011

| location= 21 Avondale St., Laurel, Maryland

| coordinates = {{coord|39|6|25|N|76|50|46|W|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = Maryland#USA

| area =

| built = 1844

| architect =

| architecture =

| added = September 20, 1979

| refnum = 79003267 {{NRISref|2008a}}

}}

The Avondale Mill was a large gable-front stone structure, three stories in height, and 10 bays long by three wide. It was located on the bank of the Patuxent River in the city of Laurel, Prince George's County, Maryland. It was constructed in 1844–1845 for Captain William Mason & Son of Baltimore. It was complemented by the neighboring Laurel Mill built in 1811, S.D. Heath's machine shop, and Richard Israel's flouring mill. At that time it was provided with the machinery for the manufacture of fine cloth, running as many as 1,500 cotton spindles with 150 employees.{{cite news|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|title=The Operatives and Manufactures-- The Eleven Hour Rule-- The Flouring Mills-- Avondale--Arrear of Wages-- Machine Shops-- The Brag Farm-- Value of Land-- Churches-- Hotel|date=11 January 1854}} In 1845, industrialist Peter Gorman was responsible for the first macadamized (paved) road in Laurel, Avondale Street next to the new Mill.{{cite book|title=Human Adaptation to the Fall Line Setting: A Framework for the Archeology of Laurel, Maryland|author1=Conrad Jay Bladey |author2=Helen Curtis |page=25}}

The mill was sold for $10,000 with a $13,000 ground rent in 1850 to S.P. Heath and James Arthur (Webb Heath & Co.).{{cite news|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|title=Celebration at Laurel--Avondale Sold- R.W Walker's Property--Sudden Death--Crops--Intense Heat|page=4|date=7 July 1854}} In the mid-1850s, it was converted to a gristmill. The waters of the Patuxent provided an 8–9 foot fall and gave the mill 60-70 horsepower to use, along with steam power fueled by coal from Cumberland as early as 1854.{{cite news|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|title=Repair of Patuxent Railroad Bridge--New Academy--Station House--Protracted Meeting--The Factions--Avondale--Churches--Fatal Accident--The Factory Hands--Flouring Mill--Machine Establishment--Fine Farm|date=11 November 1854}}{{cite book |title=Census reports Tenth census |date=June 1, 1880 |volume=16 |publisher=United States Census Office}} George William Brown purchased the 21.7 acre property and outbuildings from Benjamin F. Crabbs, but sold his holdings in a mortgage auction on 20 October 1897.{{cite news|newspaper=Evening Star|date=14 January 1897|page=7}} By 1904, the mill employed only 4 people, but produced $10,400 in product annually.{{cite book|title=Annual report, Volumes 14-16|author=Bureau of Statistics and Information, Maryland}} Commissioner of Labor and Statistics, Maryland. State Board of Labor and Statistics, Maryland. Bureau of Industrial Statistics Avondale Mill was the only one of Laurel's 19th century mills to have survived into the late 20th century. A devastating fire on December 19, 1991, destroyed the mill. The remains were then demolished and the site cleared for use as a community park.{{cite web|url=https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/NR_PDFs/NR-557.pdf |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration: Avondale Mill |date=June 1978|access-date=2015-08-01 |author1=Elizabeth Compton |author2=Stuart Hurtt |author3=Edwin Stretch |name-list-style=amp |publisher=Maryland Historical Trust}}

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.