Abbot’s mill is located two miles southeast of Milford, Delaware. It was added to the natural register of resources on May 17, 1979, and is now owned and operated by the Delaware Nature Society.
The gristmill lies on Abbot’s Pond, named after Ainsworth Abbot, the last miller who bought the mill in 1919. Originally, Abbot’s mill consisted of the mill, the millers’ house, three outbuildings, and open space on 36 acres of land; it has now been expanded to 376 acres of a land nature center.
The Abbot’s mill is a two-and-a-half-story frame structure with several wings. Its date of construction is unknown, but it is estimated to be the late nineteenth century. The building is three bays wide and two bays deep.
The mill’s structure has several wings reflecting different construction periods than the main block. The biggest wing is a two-story, gable-roofed structure set perpendicular to and to the rear of the main section of the mill. There are two shed-roofed wings to the east of the main block above the mill race. Across the front of the mill is a shed-roofed wing on the first floor with a loading dock beneath and a small office.
Ainsworth abbot bought the mill in 1919 and made efforts to change the mill’s operation by installing a diesel engine as an alternative source of power. To this date, the mill is in perfect condition and can be operated again.
Experts from the Hughley Museum examined the mill, and their opinion was “the unusual combination of early and late milling technology in Abbot’s mill, with its complementary power sources, its remarkable state of preservation, and its completeness, coupled with its location and charm, gives it historically and technological value.”
 Abbot’s mill is now a nature center. The pond is surrounded by meadows, streams, woodlands, swamps, wetlands, a modern education building, and the historic grist mill. Visitors can enjoy activities such as six miles of hiking, nature trails, paddling trails, and long trails of meadows.
There is also a picnic area with beautiful lush gardens, a leashed dog walking area, and wildlife (amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and insects). You can also enjoy bird watching, canoeing, kayaking, and summer camping for children.
29 min (19.9 miles)
via DE-16 W
Fastest route, the usual traffic
Backyard Works Inc
26822 Lewes Georgetown Hwy, Harbeson, DE 19951, United States
Continue to U.S. 9 W
29 s (459 ft)
Turn left onto U.S. 9 W
3 min (1.0 mi)
Turn right onto Rd 254/Prettyman Rd
3 min (1.8 mi)
Follow DE-30, DE-16 W and US-113 N to Calhoun Rd in Lincoln
19 min (14.4 mi)
Take Rd 635 to Rd 620/Abbotts Pond Rd
5 min (2.6 mi)
Abbott’s Mill Nature Center of Delaware Nature Society
15411 Abbotts Pond Rd, Milford, DE 19963, United States