112 full-color renderings of watermills still standing on the landscape in North America The scenic beauty of the watermill is undeniable. The weathered wood, ancient masonry, rusting iron, and, of course, the waterwheel render a warmth and charm that have inspired romantics for generations. As recently as the turn of the last century, watermills were a ubiquitous landmark along brooks, creeks, and rivers across the land. Today, only a scattering of the old watermills grace our countryside, but through these mills, and the swishing of their wheels and the whirling of their stones, a small but glorious part of our history lives on. Historic Watermills of North America: A Visual Preservation presents a gallery of stunningly beautiful images of 112 watermills still standing in the North American landscape. In idealized and romantic full-color photographs, photographer Ken Boyd hearkens back to a nostalgic time after European settlement when these structures were the heart of their communities as they did the work of everyday living. From grinding corn and wheat into meal and flour, planing trees into timber for construction, looming cloth from wool or cotton thread, forging iron ore into ingots and tools, or processing fruits and vegetables, these mills turned the power of flowing water into mechanical energy for the benefit of their operators and community. At one time vital to their surrounding regions, most of these surviving mills are in rural areas that have been passed over by the destructive hand of development. Their designs are as individual as their makers, and their settings are as varied as the landscape. Some have been converted into homes or museums or are part of local tourist attractions, some have been abandoned but show the significance of their heydays, and others are still in use, doing the same work they have always done. Boyd's beautifully rendered photographs preserve these extant structures and represent many types of watermills from across the United States and several Canadian provinces. Each photograph is accompanied by a caption stating the name of the mill, its location, date of construction, and brief comments highlighting its remarkability. | Historic Watermills Of North America by Ken Boyd, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters