Based on maps of the time, and one hand sketched map filed in the county land records, the paper mill was located just of what is now Arrington Road, where it intersects Marriottsville Road Number 2. From the direction of Ridge Road, make a right onto Marriottsville Road Number 2, then a right onto Arrington Road. Immediately after the bridge crossing the river, there is an area big enough to park your vehicle on the left, next to the guard rail. The paper mill was either located right there, or to the left of the guard rail. When you look over the guard rail, you will notice that there is a flat area that follows the path of the river. That used to be an road that followed the river for some time, then curved to the right and connected with what is now Henryton Road. It may have even been called Henryton Road. Off that road lived Henry DeVries and his wife. My son and I walked the length of that old road, which is now just grass, stones, and fallen trees, until it ended at a quarry blast site. When driving along Marriottsville Road Number 2, looking over the river, you can see where the old road stops at the quarry blast site, then picks up again on the other side of the blast site. We plan to follow the rest of the old road in the Spring, when it isn't so dangerous to navigate. It is also interesting to note that the Arrington Road bridge over the river was not always located in that spot. Rather, it was located further to the left. If you look closely, you can see concrete moorings of the older bridge. I think the current bridge was built in about 1957. In fact, if you look across the street, to where the old Soapstone Quarry is located, you can see concrete pilings in the woods, left there long ago.
As far as I can tell, it was the only paper mill in Carroll County. Fabricating paper at that time in history was very labor intensive. If you read the article, you will see what I mean. It gives you great appreciation for the ease in which we can make paper these days.
In 1827, Christian's son John B. DeVries built another paper mill "below that of his father...and in 1829 began operation as a hand mill," per the article. I interpret this as John built another paper mill located south of his father's mill and he managed most of the process by hand, with limited use of machinery. As advancements in machine technology were developed over the coming years, John DeVries bough into the new technology.
John's paper mill burned down in 1852 and was rebuilt again in the same year. His father, Christian, operated his flour/paper mill until the beginning of the Civil War and then he closed it down. In 1868, there was a great flood in the Patapsco Valley that destroyed the structures of both mills. John DeVries rebuilt his mill and cleaned and re-used the machinery that he salvaged from the original mill. His father's original mill was not rebuit, however. John's paper mill stood until 1884 when it was burned down. It was not rebuilt.
There was also a store that John DeVries owned in the same vicinity. Though it is not clear where it is located on the map. The below map is copied from the Carroll County Historical Society web page, see the url at the top of this post.
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