This 1771 Bucks County Mill Has an 18-Foot Waterwheel in the Living Room
Bucks Co. & Beyond Daily
Bucks Co. & Beyond Daily
by Nick Rau
Most people put a fireplace at the center of the living room. At Shelly Mill in Buckingham Township, the centerpiece is a completely preserved, 18-foot-diameter waterwheel, built right into the main floor of a stone gristmill that dates to 1771. The $3.6 million estate at 3111 Burnt House Hill Road has just landed on Zillow Gone Wild, the viral page that spotlights the country's most unexpected homes, according to the Bucks County Courier Times as reported by BUCKSCO.Today on Oct. 28, 2026.
The building started life as the Ely family gristmill, which played a part in the region's early grain processing, according to the listing by Maureen Reynolds of Serhant Pennsylvania. After a major renovation in 1998 and updates since, the three-story stone mill became a residence of nearly 9,500 square feet, and the mill details were kept on purpose rather than covered up. So the house has massive interlocking timber beams, soaring ceilings, grand interior doors, reclaimed leaded and stained-glass windows, and thousands of turn-of-the-century Boston Grueby tiles on the floors and walls. A 35-foot river-stone fireplace anchors the main living space.
The listing describes the wheel as "both a piece of history and a work of art," and it's the feature that caught Zillow Gone Wild's attention, BUCKSCO.Today reported. It's one thing to live near Bucks County history. It's another to have it turning in your living room.
The house has six bedrooms, four full baths and four half baths. Outside, about 9.5 acres of private grounds hold a saltwater pool, according to BUCKSCO.Today.
It's a private home, so this is one to admire online, not one to drive by and knock on.
Where is the Bucks County house with a waterwheel inside?
It's Shelly Mill, at 3111 Burnt House Hill Road in Buckingham Township, which has a Doylestown mailing address. The 18-foot waterwheel is built into the main floor of the 1771 stone gristmill.
How much is the Shelly Mill house in Doylestown, PA?
The reported price is $3.6 million, according to the Bucks County Courier Times, as reported by BUCKSCO.Today on Oct. 28, 2026.
Why is a Bucks County home on Zillow Gone Wild?
Zillow Gone Wild featured Shelly Mill for its preserved waterwheel, its historic mill details and its grounds with a saltwater pool, BUCKSCO.Today reported.
Curious about the area? Check out my Buckingham guide, my Doylestown guide and my Bucks County neighborhoods guide.
Note from Nick: Here's the story behind the Bucks County mill that just went viral. I'm Nick Rau, President of Sales with the Rarity Real Estate Team, ranked in the Top 1% of agents nationally (RealTrends 2025, individual), with more than 135 Google reviews, and I live right here in Bucks County.
Rarity Real Estate Team, 1100 N Delaware Ave Suite A, Philadelphia, PA 19125 · (215) 593-7498 · [email protected]
Questions about Buckingham or Doylestown? Call (215) 593-7498 or email [email protected].
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Featured image: file photo of a different stone grist mill converted to a home; it is not Shelly Mill. File photo, not Shelly Mill (cropped): Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons.
Sources (checked Oct. 28, 2026): BUCKSCO.Today, Oct. 28, 2026, citing the Bucks County Courier Times; USA Today Network via Keystone Newsroom, Oct. 28, 2026.
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