Chesapeake Mill Built from Warship Timbers

1820

The Chesapeake Mill was built in 1820 on Bridge Street, using timbers salvaged from the captured American frigate USS Chesapeake. The warship had been taken by HMS Shannon in a fierce engagement off Boston harbour in 1813, during the War of 1812. The ship was brought to Portsmouth, where it was broken up, and the timbers were purchased for reuse. The mill was constructed as a working watermill on the River Meon, grinding corn for the village and surrounding farms. The building survives today as a restaurant and events venue, a unique piece of Anglo-American naval history.