The Mercer Family Mill House Abandoned After Waterwheel Closure

The Mercer family established Brookstone House in 1908 after Thomas Mercer inherited a small riverside milling property in the Alder Vale region. Three generations lived there, including Thomas, his wife Eleanor, their children, and later grandchildren who helped operate the waterwheel mill and manage the garden. The family earned income from grinding grain for nearby farms, selling flour, and maintaining local supply deliveries along the old stone road.

Historical records describe a working home with a maintained porch, active mill room, and reliable stream power before industrial changes weakened the family business.

The first warning sign appeared in 1927 when several farms switched to commercial mills and reduced their orders from Thomas Mercer. By 1929, the family dismissed their mill assistant and stopped repairing sections of the waterwheel structure as income declined. The upper tower room was closed, and maintenance of the footbridge, porch, and stream equipment was postponed. The expansion of regional industrial milling during the early 1930s caused unpaid supply bills, equipment debts, and overdue property taxes. In 1933, after the waterwheel stopped operating permanently, Thomas and Eleanor left Brookstone House for a nearby village.

Brookstone House was abandoned in 1934 after the closure of the family mill, declining demand, and accumulated financial debts ended the Mercer family’s connection to the property. No restoration occurred, and no Mercer descendants returned after leaving Alder Vale. County records noted uncertain ownership and no approved plans to restart the abandoned mill. The remaining rooms stayed closed with household belongings, milling records, and tools left behind. Over decades, weather, moss, and vegetation damaged the residence and waterwheel. The mountain stream house remains empty beside the frozen wheel, continuing to deteriorate without restoration or confirmed future use.