Brookland Woolen Mills Records

1347 THL

Scope and Content: This collection contains records for Friendly Grove Woolen Mill, later named Brookland Woolen Mill located just outside of Winchester, VA, USA.

(5 boxes) Last updated 10/03.

Biographical/Historical: Joseph C. Baldwin established Friendly Grove Woolen Factory in 1808. In 1828, John Griffith, his sons Aaron H., and Joseph Griffith, and cousins Asa and Israel Hoge formed the firm Griffith, Hoge & Company. GH&Co. continued the business under the name Friendly Grove Woolen Factory until 1835, when Aaron and Joseph bought out the other partners. Friendly Grove was located one mile south of Winchester on Abram’s Creek. This mill produced flannels, worsteds, blankets, and linseys.

In 1839, Aaron and Joseph Griffith bought a larger mill, known as the Kelso and Wilson Mill, three miles east on Abram’s Creek at Brookland. They called it Brookland Woolen Mills. The brothers ran this mill and Friendly Grove until 1855, when Aaron Griffith acquired his brother’s interest and disposed of the Friendly Grove Mill. Benjamin Williams purchased and ran Friendly Grove until it was demolished during the Civil War. His sons, Phillip and James, rebuilt the mill and renamed it Stonewall Woolen Mill. Brookland Woolen Mills was one of the few mills to remain in operation through the Civil War. In 1877, Aaron Griffith died, and two of his sons continued mill operations. Brookland finally closed in 1904.

Bibliography:

Joint Committee of Hopewell Friends and John W. Wayland, eds. Hopewell Friends History, 1734-1934, Frederick County, Virginia. Winchester, VA: Joint Committee of Hopewell Friends, 1936

Johnson, Wilbur. Weaving a Common Thread. Winchester, VA: Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society, 1990.

Cite As: Brookland Woolen Mills Records, 1347 THL, Stewart Bell Jr. Archives, Handley Regional Library, Winchester, VA, USA.

Organization:

Box 1

Account book for Friendly Grove Woolen Mill, January 1827-April 1835, 1 item, manuscript, leather-bound

Friendly Grove Woolen Factory - bookkeeping journal, 1829-1835, manuscript

Friendly Grove Woolen Factory - bookkeeping journal, 1835-1841, manuscript

Friendly Grove Woolen Factory - bookkeeping journal, 1838-1839, 1 item, 4 pages, manuscript

Griffith, Aaron H. - debts to benefit of, 1837 (Friendly Grove Woolen Mill), 1 item, manuscript

Griffith, Aaron H. - accounts due, 1849 (Friendly Grove Woolen Mill), 1 item, manuscript

Box 2

Brookland Woolen Mills - wool received, 1844, 1 item, manuscript, paper/leather-bound

Brookland Woolen Mill - bookkeeping journal, 1839-1847, Aaron H. and Joseph Griffith, 1 item, manuscript

Brookland Woolen Factory (mill) - bookkeeping journal, 1851-1857, 1 item, manuscript

Account Book for Brookland Woolen Mills, 1851-1880 (includes settlements of Aaron’s estate re Brookland), 1 item, manuscript, leather-bound

Brookland Wool Factory (mill) - "fulling" account book, 1857-1859, 1 item, manuscript, paperbound

Brookland Woolen Factory (mill) - journal, 1857-1864, Aaron H. Griffith and Sons, 1 item, manuscript, paperbound

Box 3

A. H. Griffith's Sons - account book, 1877, Brookland Woolen Mill, 1 item, manuscript, paperbound

A. H. Griffith's Sons - account book, 1877-1878, Brookland Woolen Mill, 1 item, manuscript, paperbound

Brookland Woolen Mills - bookkeeping journal, 1878-1883, Aaron H. Griffith and Sons, 1 item, manuscript, leather-bound

Brookland Mills – checks, 1876-7

Brookland Woolen Mills – Prison Wear, 1896-7, 15 leaves, manuscript/typescript

Miscellaneous papers relating to Aaron and Joseph Griffith, unnumbered items, manuscript

Box 4

Brookland Woolen Mills - bookkeeping journal, 1854-1860, paperbound journal and loose papers, 2 items, manuscript

Loose papers found in account books

Account book for Brookland Woolen Mill, September 1840-April 1849, 1 item, manuscript, leather-bound

Account book for Brookland Woolen Mill, August 1860-December 1860, 1 item, manuscript, leather-bound