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From Flour to Graphite: The Transformation of the Asbury Mill

New Jersey is dotted with old grist mills. Some are picturesque ruins reclaiming the forest (like in Bloomsbury), while others are preserved museums (like Walnford or the Red Mill). But in the Village of Asbury (Warren County), one mill is charting a different path.

The Asbury Mill is a survivor. It started as a traditional flour mill, reinvented itself as a global graphite processing hub, and is now being transformed into a model of 21st-century environmental sustainability.

Here is the story of how a 19th-century stone giant is becoming a green energy leader.

The Automated Wonder of 1865

Water-powered milling has been a part of this site since the mid-1700s, when the area was known as Hall’s Mills. (The town was renamed Asbury in 1800 after Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury helped lay the cornerstone for the local church).

The original 18th-century mill stood until the 1860s, when it was replaced by the massive structure we see today. Built circa 1865, the new mill was a beast: five stories tall (including the basement), constructed of stone, and covered in lime stucco.

The Tech: This wasn’t just a big building; it was high-tech. It was likely modeled after Oliver Evans’ patent for “automated grist mills.” Evans, a Delaware inventor, created a system of conveyors and hoppers that allowed grain to be processed into flour without ever being touched by human hands—the first continuous production line in the world.

The Graphite Revolution

In 1895, the mill’s destiny changed forever. Harry M. Riddle, a 24-year-old postmaster and entrepreneur, leased the building.

Riddle didn’t want to grind wheat. He saw a future in graphite.

At the time, graphite was an untapped market in the US. Riddle began importing raw graphite from Korea and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and retrofitted the mill to process it. He replaced the old wooden water wheel with a cast-iron Leffel turbine (which still sits in the basement today) and launched Asbury Graphite Mills.

The gamble paid off. The company grew rapidly, eventually becoming Asbury Carbons Inc., which is today the world’s largest independent processor of refined graphite. They operated out of this historic mill until 1972, when production moved across the river to a modern facility.

A Green Future

In 1999, the Riddle family donated the historic mill and several surrounding properties to the Musconetcong Watershed Association (MWA).

The MWA has ambitious plans. They have already converted a building across the street (the River Resource Center) into a LEED Platinum certified headquarters. Now, they are applying that same “adaptive reuse” philosophy to the massive mill.

The Restoration Plan:

• Phase 1 (Site Work): Contractors have already stabilized the riverbanks, restored the tailrace island, and removed non-historic additions to protect the building from flooding.
• Phase 2 (Systems): The installation of modern electricity, HVAC, and windows.
• The Goal: The lower floors will serve as community meeting space and a museum of milling technology, while the upper floors will become offices.

By combining historic preservation with green building standards, the Asbury Mill is proving that “old” doesn’t mean “obsolete.”

If You Visit

While the interior of the mill is often under construction or restricted due to renovation work, the exterior and the surrounding village are well worth a visit.

• Location: 475 Old Main Street, Asbury, NJ 08802.
• The River Resource Center: Located across the street, this building is the headquarters of the MWA and a great place to learn about the river’s ecology.
• Scenic Drive: Asbury is located in a beautiful, rural section of Warren County, perfect for a weekend drive along the Musconetcong River.

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For More Information

Musconetcong Watershed Association (www.musconetcong.org)