Historical Operation of Water Powered Mills in the State of Pennsylvania, and the Middle Atlantic States.




Theodore (Ted) R. Hazen is a Master Miller, Millwright, Millstone Dresser, and Mill Restoration Consultant. He is America's leading authority on the restoration, operation, interpretation, and preservation of historical grist and flour mills. Ted has developed interpretive programs for the National Park Service in five historical theme parks, and national parks, and has worked at Virginia's Explore Park.

Ted Hazen grew up in Northwestern Pennsylvania. He is the third generation family member to work in the milling industry. Mr. Hazen worked in several operating mills in Northwestern Pennsylvania. He spent a number of years working in water powered flour and grist mills for the National Park Service, as a miller, millwright, millstone dresser, museum curator, and interpreter. Mr. Hazen has worked in several historical parks as a craftsman, interpreter and doing historical restoration of complete structures which were relocated to new settings in these parks. Through his Pond Lily Mill Restorations he has built new mills, reconstructed historical mill from their foundations, dressed millstones, acted as a mill consultant, and done restoration, museum, and interpretive planning. On the internet he maintains a vast web site "Pond Lily Mill Restorations" to help everyone discovered the history of flour milling, the technology, its developments, the folklore, and its effects upon our culture, and to allow individuals develop beyond a basic understanding of mill technology solely for educational and research purposes. Ted and his wife, Anne (who has a Civil Engineering degree in hydraulic engineering from the University of Maryland, live together with their 5 pets.

Protecting Pennsylvania’s Historic Resources Conference.

35MM Slides and Living History Period Costume Program.

Questions and Answers:

1. How to you separate fact from folklore?
2. Since not all mills (millers and mill owners) were alike. Where there some who cared more than others and were there some who this was just another Job?
3. What would you like to see happen to make everyone more mill aware?

His father Theodore Hazen, Sr. worked in several flour mills, and rebuilt a number of mill dams. His grandfather on his father's side, was a hydraulic engineer. His mother's father worked in a number of flour mills and factories as a millwright.

Program Comments: "A Grand & Glorious (Interpreter) Miller Ted Hazen, he knows how to organize & present interesting facts," William F. Foshag (a conference presenter), Heishman's Mill. "A very unique program presented containing the basic knowledge of milling in early america," a preservation conference member.

Short program: Mills and Their Interpretation.
Long Program (Basic Research Paper - Duology - Program Time Cut - Program Not Presented): Historical Operation of Water Powered Mills in the State of Pennsylvania, and the Middle Atlantic States.