Historic mills of the Atlanta area facts for kids
Long ago, many historic mills were built around the Atlanta area. These mills were important places where people processed things like grain or wood. Many roads in modern-day Atlanta are still named after these old mills! Most of them were built in the 1820s and 1830s. They were usually located next to streams, which provided the power for the mill machinery. You can even see where many of these mills were on an old map from 1875, which shows military actions around Atlanta in 1864. This map is now kept at the U.S. Library of Congress.
Akers Mill: Ruins and Roads
Akers Mill was a mill located near Vinings on Rottenwood Creek. Today, you can find its ruins in the Cumberland/Galleria area. Akers Mill Road is a busy road that runs through this area. It goes west from Powers Ferry Road, crosses Interstate 285, and then turns south. It also crosses Interstate 75 and Cobb Parkway, forming the southern edge of the Cumberland Mall.
Arnold Mill: A Name in Cherokee County
Arnold Mill, Georgia was a place in southeastern Cherokee County, Georgia. It was east of Woodstock, Georgia. Arnold Mill Road starts in downtown Woodstock and goes east to meet Georgia 140. It then continues southeast through Milton to Crabapple. West of Woodstock, the road changes its name to Towne Lake Parkway. The name "Arnold Mill" comes from a post office. It was named after Givens W. Arnold. It's not clear if the Arnold family actually ran a mill.
Autrey Mill: Nature and History
Sometimes people misspell it "Autry." Autrey Mill Road is located along Johns Creek. It's off Old Alabama Road in the city of Johns Creek, Georgia. The Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center is also found here. It's a great place to explore nature and learn about local history.
Black's Mill: A Small Grist Mill
Black's Mill Road is named after a small grist mill. A grist mill grinds grain into flour or meal. This mill was once in Dawsonville, Georgia. Noah and Sarah Black owned and operated it.
Blake's Mill: An Old Mill in DeKalb County
This mill was built before the Civil War. It was owned and run by John Blake. It was located on Shallowford Road near I-85. This area is northeast of Atlanta in DeKalb County.
Cobb's Mill: A Civil War Landmark
Just east of Atlanta, at 1510 Key Road, stood a grist mill. It was run by William Cobb, an early settler in DeKalb County. This mill was an important landmark during the Battle of Atlanta. This battle happened on July 22, 1864, during the Civil War.
Collier Mill: Battle Site in Buckhead
Collier's grist mill was located in Buckhead. It was along Tanyard Creek, near Collier Road. This mill was at the center of a major Civil War battle. This was the Battle of Peachtree Creek. The mill was on land owned by Andrew Jackson Collier. Today, you can find bronze markers in Tanyard Creek Park. Old millstones and markers are also at Redland Drive and Collier Road. They help us remember this history.
Connolly's Grist Mill: A Mill on Utoy Creek
Thomas Connolly started a grist mill in 1850. It was on one of the branches of Utoy Creek. This mill served his plantation and the nearby community. During the Civil War, Confederate troops were positioned overlooking the mill. The mill was destroyed by floods several times. It was rebuilt until 1910. Then, it was destroyed to prevent the spread of diseases like malaria. The mill pond still exists today. It's a pretty spot along Connolly Drive in East Point, Georgia.
Connolly Saw Mill: Lumber for the Area
Thomas Connolly also built a saw mill in 1850. It was located where three streams of South Utoy Creek met. A large dam supported this saw mill. It provided lumber for the Utoy and East Point areas. The dam was destroyed in 1963 when Highway 166 was built. The millpond helped prevent a direct attack by Union troops in August 1864.
Durand's Mill: A Changing Name
Durand's Mill was a water-powered sawmill and factory. Samuel A. Durand operated it in the 1860s. Later, Fredrick A. Williams ran it. The old road near it was named Williams Mill Road. Today, that road is known as Briarcliff Road. Later, J.F. Wallace took over. His name was given to Wallace Station. This was a former stop on the Seaboard Railroad. Union troops crossed Peachtree Creek at Durand's Mill on July 20, 1864. They were advancing toward Atlanta during the Civil War.
Henderson Mill: Named for a Pioneer
This mill was located near Henderson Creek in DeKalb County. It was named after Greenville Henderson, an early settler.
Herrings Mill: Sherman's Headquarters
This grist mill was working in 1850. It was on the North Fork of Utoy Creek. Union troops crossed the mill pond on August 3, 1864. They were trying to break through Confederate defenses. The Herring House was used as a headquarters by General Sherman. This was on August 3-4, 1864, during the Civil War.
Houston Mill: From Corn to Electricity
In 1876, the Houston Mill was built in Decatur. It was on the south fork of Peachtree Creek. It was used to grind corn into cornmeal. Major Washington Jackson Houston owned it. In 1900, he changed it into the first hydroelectric power plant in DeKalb County. He then started the Decatur Light, Power and Water Company. The mill's dam still stands today. You can also see parts of the old millrace in Emory University's Hahn Woods park.
Howell's Mills: Many Mills, One Family
Howell's Mill was located near Atlanta. It was named after Clark Howell. It was on Peachtree Creek. The original site was just west of where Howell Mill Road crosses the creek today. There were actually several Howell's Mills. The Howell family built two other mills on Nancy Creek. One was known as 'Charley Howell's Mill'. It was named after Charles Augustus Howell, one of Clark Howell's sons. Today, the Atlanta Humane Society is located on Howell Mill Road. This sometimes leads to jokes about "Howl" Mill Road!
Johnston's Mill: A Civil War Landmark
Johnston's Mill was owned by William Johnston. It was an important landmark during the Civil War in 1864. It was on Briarwood Road, between Buford Highway and I-85. It was located on the North Fork of Peachtree Creek.
Lee's Mill: On the Flint River
Lee's Mill was located between Fayetteville and Tyrone. It was on the Flint River. Lee's Mill Road runs from Fayetteville to Sandy Creek Road. A new roundabout was recently added to the road. This mill is shown on an 1864 Civil War map.
Mason Mill: Waterworks and History
Mason Mill was a flour mill built by Ezekiel Mason in the 1850s. This was before the Civil War. It was east of Atlanta on Burnt Fork Creek. Mason Mill Road meets Clairmont Road near this spot. The mill was built by enslaved people. The water channel for the mill ran back to Clairmont Lake. In 1906, the City of Decatur bought the property. Mason Mill became part of the Decatur Waterworks. This system supplied drinking water to the city until 1947.
Moore's Mill: A Civil War Battle Site
Moore's Mill was started in 1828 by Thomas Moore. It was located along Peachtree Creek. A Civil War battle took place here on July 19, 1864.
Pace's Mill: A Founder's Mill
Pace's Mill belonged to Hardy Pace. He was one of Atlanta's founders. It was located in what is now Vinings. Paces Mill Road is a smaller road off the busier Paces Ferry Road.
Paper Mill: Industrial History and Ruins
The Marietta Paper Mill was built on the banks of Sope Creek. This was part of a larger industrial area. The mill started in 1859. Union soldiers burned the mills on July 5, 1864, during the Civil War. It was rebuilt after the war but burned again in 1870. It was restored in 1871 and ran until 1902. Its ruins are still there today. They are protected by the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The mill is in Cobb County. You can reach it by Paper Mill Road. This road connects to Johnson Ferry Road. Paper Mill Road used to cross Sope Creek with a covered bridge. This bridge was burned down in the late 1960s.
Pickett's Mill: A Civil War Battlefield
Pickett's Mill was located near Dallas in Paulding County. It was the site of the Battle of Pickett's Mill during the Civil War.
Poole's Mill: A Historic Covered Bridge
Poole's Mill Park is in the northwest of Forsyth County. Its main attraction is the Poole's Mill Covered Bridge. This bridge crosses Settendown Creek. The bridge was built in 1901. The park is listed on the National Historic Registry.
Queen Mill: Road Named for a Mill
Queen Mill (or Queen's Mill) was located across from Fulton County Airport. It was between Mableton Parkway and Interstate 20. Today, Queen Mill Road is named after this historic mill.
Rex Mill: Still Standing Today
This mill is in Clayton County. It was first called Hollingsworth Mill. Isaiah Hollingsworth built it. The mill is still standing today! It is located off Georgia Highway 42 on Rex Road. A division of General Sherman's Federal Army passed by this mill on November 16, 1864, during the Civil War.
Roswell Mill: A Big Cotton Mill
Roswell Mill was a group of mills in Fulton County. They were near Vickery Creek in Roswell, Georgia. These mills were famous for making textiles from raw materials. At its peak, it was "the largest cotton mill in north Georgia." The mill also made wool and flour. It kept making textiles until it closed in 1975.
Sewell Mill: Visible Ruins
Sewell Mill was located on Sewell Mill Creek. This creek flows into Sope Creek. Sewell Mill Road is in Cobb County. It runs from Georgia 120 to Johnson Ferry Road. You can still see the old ruins of Sewell Mill on a property along Sewell Mill Road. It's just east of Murdock Road.
Starr's Mill: Water Power and History
The land for Starr's Mill was first owned by Hananiah Gilcoat. He built the first mill here before 1825. This site is on Whitewater Creek, south of Fayetteville. Hilliard Starr owned the mill from 1866 to 1879. He gave the site its current name. After two wooden buildings burned, William T. Glower built the current building in 1907. This mill worked until 1959. It used a water-powered turbine to grind corn and operate a sawmill. Starr's Mill also had a cotton gin. It even produced electricity for nearby Senoia.
Terrell's Mill: Two Locations, Many Uses
There were two Terrell's Mills. One was on the Flint River in Clayton County. It was south of the Atlanta Airport. Terrell's Mill Road is on maps today, but the mill is gone. John Calhoun Terrell and his son Francis Leonard built this mill around 1870. It used a water turbine to turn the mill stone. This mill also had a saw mill, a syrup mill, a cotton gin, and a country store. John C. Terrell built another mill around 1858. It was near where the Delta Airlines Jet Base is now.
Another Terrell Mill was in north Atlanta. Terrell Mill Road runs from Cobb Parkway, under I-75, and then north to Lower Roswell Road. This road is now a wide, busy road. Terrell Mill Park is located on the southwest side of the road. The first Home Depot store was located at Terrell Mill Road and Cobb Parkway. Its first headquarters was also nearby.
Terry's Mill: Civil War Movements
Terry's Mill was owned by Tom Terry. It was on Sugar Creek. This grist mill was located on Glenwood Avenue, east of I-20. It is mentioned in military records. These records describe the movements of Confederate troops during the Battle of Atlanta on July 22, 1864. His brother, Thomas Terry, ran a mill at Lakewood Park. This mill fed off the South River. Thomas Terry and his wife are buried at Lakewood Avenue.
Tilly Mill: A Residential Area
Tilly Mill Road is in DeKalb County. It's in the city of Dunwoody. The road cuts through the land where the mill was located. The Tilly family owned and operated this mill in the early 1900s. The name also describes the residential area that is there now.
Tribble Mill: A Park with a Past
The 700-acre forested Tribble Mill Park is in Gwinnett County. It's near Sugarloaf Parkway. The mill that gives Tribble Mill its name ran on a river on the property. It operated from the 1830s until the 1950s. The land was privately owned until the 1990s. Ozora Lake is the main feature of Tribble Mill Park. You can go fishing and boating there. The park has a 2.8-mile paved trail around the lake. The park is also dog-friendly.
Tucker Mill: An Old Building Today
The Old Tucker Mill is a building from before the Civil War. It's in historic downtown Tucker, Georgia. Today, it is operated as an antique store. It's located at 4290 Railroad Avenue. The Old Tucker Mill had a corn mill and a sawmill around 1900. It is one of the oldest buildings still standing in Tucker.
White's Mill: Lumber for the Confederacy
White's Mill was in Atlanta. John White founded the mill in Dekalb County. His sons later ran it. The mill complex included a lumber mill and a grist mill. It was located on what is now White's Mill Road. This road is between Interstate 20 and Flat Shoals Road. John White is buried in a small cemetery on Candler Road.
The mill also had a cotton gin. It operated until the mid-1900s. During the Civil War, the mill supplied large timber to the Confederacy. One of John's sons, William Coker White, helped oversee this. The lumber was taken to the Chattahoochee River by wagon. It was then floated to Columbus, Georgia. There, the large timbers were used to build armored gunboat frames. When General William T. Sherman burned Atlanta, he also burned many factories. This included White's mill. After the war, William Coker and his brother John Wesley rebuilt the mill. They continued to run it together.
Wilkerson Mill: Private Gardens
Wilkerson Mill is located on private property. It's on the grounds of Wilkerson Mill Gardens. It's on Little Bear Creek in the City of Chattahoochee Hills.
Williams Mill: Another Changing Name
This mill was on the south fork of Peachtree Creek. Williams Mill Road is now Briarcliff Road. The mill was run by Frederick A. Williams, a furniture maker. Sam Durand bought it before the Civil War. Military maps then called it Durand's Mill. It was later known as Wallace's Mill.
Wilsons Mill: Supporting Local Farmers
Judge Wilson operated this grist mill. It was on a stream of North Utoy Creek. The mill supported the Wilson Plantation and local farmers. It started in 1858. It was working during the Civil War. Union troops were camped next to the mill in August 1864.
Willis Mill: Early Settlers and Civil War
This mill was on a stream of South Utoy Creek. It was started in 1830. Joseph Willis was the miller. He ground corn into meal and grits for early settlers. The mill was the dividing line between Union and Confederate armies. This was during the siege of Atlanta in August 1864. It was near East Point, Georgia.
Images for kids
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The ruins of Akers Mill
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Roswell Mill ruins, May 2009.
