The Christmas we celebrate today looks much different than the Christmas of Colonial America, and The Mill at Anselma has been here to witness the evolution.

Throughout history, most agricultural societies have celebrated harvest festivals. Today, Thanksgiving has lost much of its original religious significance and now centers on cooking and sharing a meal with family and friends.

Like many places in Chester County, the Mill at Anselma is the site of Indigenous history. In honor of that legacy, three trails winding through our historic site are named after matrilineal clans of the Lenape tribe: Turtle, Turkey, and Wolf.

Pressing and fermenting fresh apple juice was the easiest way to preserve the large fruit harvest, and in rural communities, taxes, wages, and tithes were often paid in cider.

As we embrace the harvest season, it's a fitting time to reflect on how vital infrastructure like railroads once were in shaping local agricultural success.

Oliver E. Collins, who purchased the Mill in 1919, became known as a skilled "country mechanic." He operated a lawn mower sharpening business for local residents, focusing on reel push-type mowers.