Hagood Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hagood Mill
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 Location in South Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | 138 Hagood Mill Road |
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| Nearest city | Pickens, South Carolina |
| Area | 8 acres (3.2 ha) |
| Built | 1826, 1845 |
| Built by | Hagood, Benjamin Hagood, James E. |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001217 |
| Added to NRHP | December 11, 1972 |
The Hagood Mill is a cool old mill in Pickens, South Carolina. It still works today, powered by water! James Hagood built it way back in 1845. This important place was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The Mill's Story
The Hagood Mill sits next to Hagood Branch, a small stream that flows into the Twelve Mile River. People have used this spot for mills since the 1790s. The mill you see today was built in 1845 by James Hagood.
The Hagood family owned and ran the mill for a very long time. It kept grinding grain until 1966. At that time, new government rules made it hard for small mills to operate. The mill and a nearby store used to be a popular meeting spot for people in the county.
In 1973, the mill and its land were given to the Pickens County Museum. The water wheel and other parts of the mill were fixed up in the 1970s. A local historian named Alan Warner helped restore them again in the 1990s.
The mill building from 1845 is made of hand-cut logs. It has two stories and is covered with wood siding. Long ago, water for the mill came from a ditch called a headrace. This ditch carried water from the creek to the mill. Today, water is pumped underground to the headrace.
The large wooden water wheel is 20 feet (6.1 meters) tall and 4 feet wide. It creates 22 horsepower, which is a lot of energy! Inside, a big gear, 18 feet across, helps turn the millstones. These two granite millstones each weigh about 1,600 pounds (725 kg). They grind the grain into flour.
Hagood Mill Historic Site & Folklife Center
The Hagood Mill is the main attraction at the Hagood Mill Historic Site & Folklife Center. This center is a fun place to visit and learn about history. Besides the mill, you can see other old buildings.
The site has two historic cabins, which are old houses. There's also a blacksmith shop where people used to make things from metal. You can also see a moonshine still, which was used to make spirits. A cotton gin, a machine that separates cotton fibers, is also on display.
The site also includes the Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site. This special area has ancient Native American rock carvings. Another interesting feature is the Prater's Creek Bridge. This steel bridge was built in 1930 and moved to the site in 2007. It is 64 feet (20 meters) long.
