This picturesque wooden grist mill was built in 1975 by the West Virginia State Parks Department on this boulder strewn stream in Babcock State Park. There is a section of the Nicholas, Fayette & Greenbrier Railroad that starts just south of Landisburg, runs along south of the park/mill area, continues past Clifftop and Babcock, parallels the Meadow River many miles, picking up other spur lines, finally joining with the New York Central RR at Peters Station, across the Kenawha River in Nicholas County.

The mill is a replacement for a mill, the Cooper's Mill, that burned in 1920 and stood just a short distance away from this present mill. The mill is a composite of three then existing West Virginia mills in 1975. The main structure came from the Stoney Creek Grist Mill in Pochaontas Co.; the stone ground floor and other parts came from the Onego Grist Mill in Pendleton Co. near Seneca Rocks; and the old overshot waterwheel came from the Spring Run Grist Mill near Petersburg in Grant Co.

The mill is an operating mill; operated by the state parks as a visual demonstation mill and museum. Check the website above to learn more about about the workings of the mill. See the section titled, HOW THE MILL RUNS. It is very informative, easy to follow and understand.

This photo, sent to me for use on the web page by Steve Faucette, is termed a squared photo, using diffusion and a glow effect to achieve the above result. Quite interesting and different from the standard pictures. The Glade Creek Grist Mill is probably the most photographed mill in the state of West Virginia, maybe even the United States. Close in popularity with potographers with the Mabry Mill, along the Virginia Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Parkway near Linville, Va.