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In 1999, the Katawba Valley Land Trust, with financial support from Duke Power Company, applied for a Survey and Planning grant from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The project proposed was a grist mill survey of the Catawba River in York, Chester, and Lancaster counties. The study and protection of historic and archaeological sites was one of the recommendations of the Catawba River Corridor Plan, which specifically mentioned the protection of grist mill sites. The grant was approved, and the land trust secured the services of Legacy Research Associates, Inc. of Durham, North Carolina to help with the project.
The project had several objectives. The first was to identify the historical context which could be useful in understanding the development of the grist mill industry in the Carolina Piedmont region. The second was to survey eight identified grist mill sites. The final objective was to develop a professional archaeological report documenting the sites.
Grist mills were one of the first industries in the area. A grist mill is a water-driven mechanism for grinding grain and other products. Corn and wheat were the primary food crops grown in the Carolina Piedmont for milling. Mills were set up where a convenient source of water power was available. The Catawba River and the larger tributaries presented excellent opportunities for using the flow of the stream to power a mill. On smaller streams, dams were built to create enough flow and force to be useful. A wide variety of water wheels were in use in the area, including overshot wheels, breast wheels, tub wheels, reaction wheels, and turbines. A review of Mills Atlas of 1825 showed that there were 58 identified grist mills in York, Chester, and Lancaster counties.
The study provided a detailed look at the history and current condition of eight mills in the study area which have some remnant of the water channel, foundation, or walls remaining. There are doubtless many other sites which should be studied. The eight sites which were the focus of the study are:
| Garrison-Webb Mill | Steele Creek, York County |
| Springs-White Mill | Nation Ford, Catawba River, York County |
| Adam Ivy/Turkey Point Mill | Kings Bottom, Catawba River, Lancaster County |
| Cureton Mill | Mill Creek, Lancaster County |
| Foster Mill | Catawba River, Lancaster County |
| Gibson Mill | Catawba River, Lancaster County |
| Blair-Izard Mill | Blair's Ford, Catawba River, Lancaster County |
| Witherspoon Mill | Catawba River, Lancaster County |
Based on the study, the potential exists for the development of a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for these and other mill sites. For a copy of the study, visit our Store.
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