Historic mills of the Atlanta area

There were several historic mills around the metro Atlanta area, for which many of its current-day roads are still named. Most of the mills date back to the 1820s and 1830s, and were built along the area's many streams.

Akers Mill

Akers Mill was located on Rottenwood Creek near Vinings. Located within the modern Cumberland/Galleria area, Akers Mill Road runs west from Powers Ferry Road at Interstate 285, immediately north of the Chattahoochee River, then turns south on Cumberland Boulevard, then departs west again after one "block", crossing Interstate 75 and then Cobb Parkway, and forming the southern boundary of the Cumberland Mall property.

Arnold Mill

Arnold Mill was located in southeastern Cherokee County, Georgia, east of Woodstock, Georgia. Arnold Mill Road runs east from Main Street (former Georgia 5) in the exact center of downtown Woodstock to meet Hickory Flat Highway (Georgia 140), which continues as Arnold Mill Road southeast throught Milton to Crabapple between Roswell and Alpharetta. West of Main Street in Woodstock, it becomes Towne Lake Parkway.

Autrey Mill

Sometimes misspelled "Autry" (as in Gene Autry), Autrey Mill Road is near Alpharetta, as is Autrey Mill Park.

Barnes Mill

Barnes Mill Road is just east of Marietta, Georgia. It crosses Georgia 120 (Roswell Road) and ascends Blackjack Mountain. The road was severed by Interstate 75.

Brick Mill

Near Canton.

Brown's Mill

Near Atlanta.

Evans Mill

Near Lithonia.

Houston Mill

In 1876, the Houston Mill was built on the south fork of Peachtree Creek in Decatur, and used to grind corn (maize) into cornmeal. It was owned by Major Washington Jackson Houston, who in 1900 converted it into the first hydroelectric power plant in DeKalb County, and formed the Decatur Light, Power and Water Company. [http://www.houstonmillhouse.com/history.php] [http://glencreek.org/history.htm] . Located above the confluence of Peavine Creek and South Fork Peachtree Creek, the dam itself still remains and the remnants of the millrace are still visible along the creek in Emory University's Hahn Woods park.

Howell's Mills

Howell's Mill was located near Atlanta. Named after Clark Howell, it was located on Peachtree Creek. Its original site was located just west of where the road bearing its name, Howell Mill Road, crosses the creek.

There were actually several Howell's Mills. In addition to the most well-known mill on Peachtree Creek, the Howell family established two other mills on Nancy Creek to the northwest. The mill located south of West Paces Ferry Road and Nancy Creek was known as 'Charley Howell's Mill', after Charles Augustus Howell, one of Clark Howell's sons. It is now the site of the Hardin Construction Company.

The Atlanta Humane Society is located on Howell Mill road, leading one former morning show on a local radio station to call it "Howlllllll" Mill Road when doing their pet of the week segments.

Mason Mill

Mason Mill was built by Ezekiel Mason on Burnt Fork Creek in Decatur. Mason Mill Road meets Clairmont Road near this point. Built by slaves, the sluice or flume for the mill ran back to Clairmont Lake. [http://glencreek.org/history.htm]

Moore's Mill

Moore's Mill was established along Peachtree Creek in 1828 by Thomas Moore. [http://www.wabe.org/history/millstone.html]

Pace's Mill

Pace's Mill belonged to Hardy Pace, one of Atlanta's s. Located in what is now Vinings (formerly Paces), Paces Mill Road is a small spur route off of the much busier Paces Ferry Road.

Paper Mill

The Marietta Paper Mill was built on Sope Creek, near where it ends into the Chattahoochee River. Its ruins are still there, protected by the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Located in Cobb County, it is accessible via two-lane Paper Mill Road, which connects to nearby Johnson Ferry Road. In the west, the road briefly combines with Terrell Mill Road just before ending at Lower Roswell Road.

Rock Mill

Near Alpharetta.

ewell Mill

Sewell Mill was located on Sewell Mill Creek, a tributary of Sope Creek. Sewell Mill Road is also located entirely in Cobb County, and runs from Georgia 120 (Roswell Road) east of Marietta, northeastward to Johnson Ferry Road. Old Sewell Road also exists. The old ruins of Sewell Mill can still be seen on a property along Sewell Mill Road, just east of Murdock Road.

cott Mill

Near Canton, Georgia.

Terrell Mill

Terrell Mill Road runs from Cobb Parkway, northeast under I-75, then gradually curving north to cross Powers Ferry Road and the east end of Delk Road, before ending at Lower Roswell Road. While the name ends at this point, the four-lane divided roadway (an arterial road) continues straight northeast on Lower Roswell ever since that road was "broken", forcing drivers continuing on it to make a turn to stay on the same road. Just south of there, Terrell Mill Park is located on the southwest side of the road, where it is briefly concurrent with Paper Mill Road.

Tilly Mill

Tilly Mill Road is located in DeKalb County.

Tribble Mill

Tribble Mill Park is located in Gwinnett.

Tucker Mill

In Rockdale County.

White's Mill

In Atlanta. The mill was founded by John White in Dekalb County Georgia, and subsequently run by his sons. The facilities included a lumber mill as well as a grist mill located on what is now known as White's Mill Road, between Interstate 20 and Flat Shoals Road east of Atlanta. John White is buried at a small cemetery on Chandler Road just south of I-20.

The Mill additionally had a cotton gin attached as a part of the family complex, and continued in operation until the mid 1900’s. During the Civil War the mill served to supply large size timber to the Confederacy. One of John's sons, William Coker White, who was a Lt. in the 42nd Georgia C.S.A. (Dekalb Rangers) along with his brother Nicolas, came home early in the war to help oversee this aspect of the operation. According to family oral tradition, the lumber was then hauled over to the Chattahoochee River by wagon (to Aderhold’s Ferry near present day Six Flags) and floated down to Columbus, Georgia where the larger timbers were used in the construction of Armored Gunboat frames. (Note that one of William’s sons (James Wesley) married one of the Aderhold girls, Alzie) my great-grandmother). Quite naturally when Gen. William T. Sherman burned the city of Atlanta, he also found it advisable to burn much of the manufacturing infrastructure in the surrounding areas such as Dekalb County, including White's mill). After the war William Coker and his brother John Wesley rebuilt and continued to run the mill complex together. The economic circumstances after the war however, were such that all the members of the extended White families (John White had 16 children and each of these had their own households) could not rely upon the mill complex for support. Thus the family split up, with a number of White families (including William Coker White) moving as a group west of Atlanta to Harrelson County, Georgia. William is buried in Pleasant Grove Church Cemetery in Harrelson County along with a number of other members of the White family. I still have an office desk and chair from White's mill in my possession. Note: John White was my great-great-great-grandfather. He is buried next to his 2nd wife Nancy Mapp Wells and beside a cenotaph for his 1st wife Hetty Layfield (Comments of Frederick Emmett White, Jr.)

Wilkerson Mill

In Atlanta.

Williams Mill

This mill was on the south fork of Peachtree Creek as the Williams Mill Road is today's Briarcliff Road, which used to continue southwesterly from where it crossed Ponce de Leon Avenue. A remnant of the old road name still exists that intersects North Highland Avenue just south of North Avenue. Begun by Ammi Williams, it was purchased by Sam Durand before the War and military maps labeled it Durand's Mill on Williams Mill Road. It was last known as Wallace's Mill.