Just about a year ago, the Poplar Grove and Tide Mill Foundation was formed to save one of the last remaining tide mills in the nation and the stately East River home in Mathews where Confederate Captain Sally Louisa Tompkins was born. The four founders of the organization—President Conrad Hall, Vice President and Treasurer Lynne White, and vice presidents Josie Thorpe and David Lowe—are all Mathews residents or have deep roots in the county and wanted to make sure the historic property did not fall into the hands of developers after the last owner passed away. Their goal is to make the site available eventually to the public as an educational and event venue. “We want to carry it into the next 100 years and have people in the community continue to love it and protect it and make it available,” said White, who has a very personal connection to the property. Her great-grandfather, James Tyler Driscoll, was one of the last millers to operate the mill. Initially, the foursome sought prima...