lOO THK SYCAMORE MILL. 



The dam at Sycamore Mills has been washed away four 

 times, once in the great flood of 1793, again on February 

 22nd, 1822, a third time in the destructive ice flood of Janu- 

 ary 26th, 1839, and the last time in the noted flood of August 

 5th, 1843. 



register's nail factory. 



This industry, which has been abandoned for over three- 

 quarters of a century, was the direct outgrowth of the rolling 

 mill, and although it was situated across Ridley Creek just 

 above the bridge at Bishop's Mills, its story is so connected 

 with the latter that it properly should be related with the his- 

 tory of Sycamore Mills. The nail factor^' was a small frame 

 structure owned by Jesse Reece and was rented to David Reg- 

 ister, who at an advanced age, in 18 12- 13, employed men and 

 began makitig wrought iron nails entirely by hand. Register 

 had been a Tory during the Revolution, and fled with the 

 British troops to Nova Scotia, but subsequently returned after 

 the passage of the Amnesty Act. The building, which had 

 many years before ceased to be used as a nail factor}-, was 

 washed a\yay in the flood of August 5th, 1843. 



THK UNION LIRR.\RY. 



On the east side of the creek, between the old race and the 

 road leading to Upper Providence store is a small, square, 

 two-story building, bearing the date 181 2. This building is 

 interesting, not only because it is one of the group of build- 

 ings comprising the mill-site, but for the additional reason 

 that it was for many years the home of the Union L,ibrary. 

 This library, one of the earliest circulating libraries in the 

 county, deserves more than passing interest in connection with 

 an account of Sycamore Mill. 



Although it is not known just who the founders of the 

 Library were, a number of well known persons of the neigh- 

 borhood from time to time took active part in its afi"airs. 

 Among these may be mentioned Minshall Painter, Jacob 



