GALLEGO MILLS
Twelfth Street between Cary and Canal streets, Richmond
Built 1835, rebuilt or expanded 1848, 1860, 1865, 1904;
demolished after 1930
Photograph: Virginia Historical Society
On the eve of the Civil War, Richmond's massive Gallego and Haxall mills surpassed their national competitors in the
annual volume of flour produced. The Gallego Mills of 1860, the complex pictured here in ruins following the evacuation
fire of 1865, topped the list, achieving an output rated at 190,000 barrels. The architecture of these mills transformed the
Richmond waterfront into an industrial center made up of some of the largest structures then standing in America. The first
Gallego mill was established at the falls as early as 1796 by Joseph Gallego. The mill buildings burned repeatedly; fires
were all too frequent at flour mills because of the volatility of grain dust. By mid-century, however, a complex of mill
buildings was in place. Although at least one of the major Gallego buildings was rebuilt following the fire of 1865, the
post-war operation was unable to compete effectively with competition that emerged in the Midwest.
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