Cobweb Mills Destroyed By Fire

On January 4, 1889 at 9:00 p.m. firehouse bells rang out an alarm of fire for G. R. Dykeman’s “Cobweb Mills”. A fire of undetermined origin destroyed the large three story stone building and its machinery. When the fire was discovered flames were showing from the second floor but within 10 minutes it had spread to the other floors. The building located just outside the borough in Franklin county required the hose of both companies to be combined to reach the nearest plug, leaving them with just enough hose to operate one line on the fire. By the time firemen had the hose line operating the building was too far-gone and efforts were made to protect the exposures. Damages were estimated at $3,000. The Vigilant Hose and Cumberland Valley Hose companies answered the alarm.

The flour mill was erected around 1817 and passed hands numerous times being called the Shippensburg Mill before the last owner renamed it Cobweb because of the cobwebs that had accumulated in the rafters. For the last few months prior to the fire the building was used very little because of illness to the miller.