Let’s explore Historic Savage Mill. This venue has both inside and outside opportunities and may be a perfect place to gather for creative explorations on a cold winter afternoon.

Have you been to Savage Mill? I discovered it a few years ago, soon after I moved to the area. It is a unique little village carved from the ruins of an old cotton mill. It is steeped with history and alive with creativity. I am sure you will enjoy this adventure!

The mill dates back to the 1820’s when, according to some sources, Amos Williams and his brothers borrowed money from their friend John Savage to start a textile weaving business on the banks of the Little Patuxent River. This location was ideal for a hydro powered weaving business and functioned from 1822 until it closed in 1947. The primary product was canvas that was used for sails for the clipper ships of the Chesapeake Bay area. The canvas was also used for tents, cots, transport and artillery covers, and assorted other military uses through World War II.

The mill proved such a success that the B&O Railroad extended a line to Savage in 1887. To carry the railroad over the river, an iron truss bridge was move to the site. The bridge, originally built in 1869, was the work of Wendell Bollman, a self taught structural engineer from Baltimore. The bridge at Savage Mill is the oldest iron railroad bridge in the United states and the last surviving example of the Bollman style. The bridge was restored in 1969 as a pedestrian walkway and is listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks.

The Savage Mill site includes the renovated mill buildings (now an eclectic shopping and arts complex) and along the river are the ruins of the hydro power structures. The Bollman Truss Bridge and a short walkway along the river on the other side of the Little Patuxent all combine to make this a wonderful photographic venue for all levels of shutterbugs.

After a few hours of exploration, we can gather at the Rams Head Tavern (on site) to share our finds and enjoy the warmth of good friends and perhaps a brew or two.

Feel free to bring family and friends!

Historic Savage Mill
8600 Foundry Street
Savage, MD 20763
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Mary Cummings
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