(Photo above: Union Mills Homestead in 1965.)
A Mission to Preserve History
On October 11, 1964, three brothers, Frederic Shriver Klein, Philip Shriver Klein, and Richard Henry Klein, the fifth generation of the Shriver family to own the Union Mills Homestead, established the Union Mills Homestead Foundation, Inc. to operate, preserve, and maintain the site and to secure appropriate preservation funding. In ensuing years, the Kleins and the Foundation transferred by donation and sale the structures and real property to the Carroll County Government. The County, in turn, leased the property back to the Foundation. By similar arrangements, ownership of the physical artifacts was transferred to the Foundation, as well.
Today, the Homestead Foundation continues to operate the property as a museum and is actively engaged in preserving the vast documentation related to the site through photography and digitization, with the goal of making the content of even greater use to historians and the general public.
Already a number of histories have relied on this collection, including Just South of Gettysburg; The Shrivers: Under Two Flags; and Pastime: Life & Love on the Homefront During the Civil War, 1861-1865. The Foundation endeavors to preserve the history of the site and to ensure a secure future through a collaborative effort that has been a hallmark of the property since 1797.
The Foundation offers to the public interpretive tours of the house and mill, and continues to preserve, catalogue, and publicize the Homestead’s collections. To showcase the Homestead, the Foundation holds a number of annual events, including a Flower and Plant Market in the spring, a Civil War Encampment in July, a Corn Roast in August, and the Maryland Microbrewery Festival in September.
The Foundation also publishes a periodic newsletter to its membership. By its policies and programs, the Foundation maintains the distinctive character and atmosphere of the site, thereby providing a significant view of an important portion of Maryland history.
Our Mission Statement:
Preserving and sharing authentic stories of determination and innovation of the Shriver family at the Union Mills Homestead and Grist Mill in Carroll County, Maryland, illustrating the entrepreneurial spirit of American families.