The present 2012 building, was built in 1931. It replaced 3 older mills on this same site, the first going back to the mid-1800's.

A digital copy of one of the Old Hills Mill, built in 1820's on this site.

A slightly elevated view of the present mill, left side and the same rapids as the vintage photo of the Old Hills Mill. At one time there was an old corn mill upstream, a saw mill at this location, and a furniture factory downstream.

The Watt's Mill was run by a wooden horizontal turbine or tub wheel. The later turbine was of steel in the picture. The river was dammed several hundred feet upstream by logs and wood. The water came down a 6' x 6' raceway into a 6' wide x 14' long x 6' high penstock (tank). This tank held 10,000 gallons, enough to provide the pressure necessary to turn the wooden turbine wheel in the forebay.

The stone set or "run of stones". The upper powered stone was the runner or "running stone" while the stationary, lower stone was the "bed rock" or netherstone.

The netherstone as viewed from under the main floor of the mill.

A lineshaft in the present mill/store. Early mills in this area were owned by William Daniel Hill and Issac Hill. These were commonly called the "Hills Mills." The present mill was built on the site of one of the Hills Mills. In 1909 owner Ruth Hill, a descendant of the original owners, died. Operations continued at the mill until 1923 when business started to decline. By 1925, the mill was closed.

An elevator and several chutes, directing corn of grain to desired locations within the mills.

Water powered all the machinery in the mill: including the Corn sheller, pea huller, hammer mill, ice machine, elevators (used to transfer corn and grain to upper levels), and other machinations.

More elevator and chute mechanisms at a different location within the mill.

An unknown piece of machinery under the mills main floor. GPS: 34D 43.76'N, 83D 35.31'W ele 1,565'/477 meters Clarkesville Quadrangle NE

In 1928 the mill was purchased by Alan and Robert Watts, who got the mill up and running again. In the 1930's, they began working on a new mill beside the Hill Mill. Flooding damaged the Watts mill and closed the mill forever in the 1960's. The mill was sold to John and Glen LaRowe in 1968.Update: Robert Watts died in 1957; but his widow, Leta Watts, continued to run the store and mill for 10 years after Uncle Robert's death. - - Robert Watt's great niece, Lynn Taylor-09/26/17.