The mill was built by John Martin, in 1876, when he arrived in Georgia to mine for gold.

In 1902 Dr. Lamartine G Hardman, a later Governor of Ga. from 1927-1931, bought the mill and named it "Nora Mill" in memory of his sister Nora.

It used 1,500 pound French Burr Stones and a 100' wooden raceway that fed a water turbine.

A walkway built over the 100' wooden raceway (sluicebox) that privides the water source from the Chattahoochee River to the mill.

The dam on the Chattahochee, slightly more than 100' upstream. The wooden raceway begins just above the dam.

One of the millstones once used in the mill for the grinding of corn and various wheat products.

In the early 1980's, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, Ron Fain, began working with the Hardman family, then leasing the mill, along with his parents, to bring the mill back to life. The millstone set on the left with some elevators for moving grain to upper stories in the ceenter of the photo.

The stone set (run). Ron's parents died and his daughter, Joann soon became familiar with the running of the mill and the business.

A roller mill unit used to grind grain into flour. A much finer flour could be ground with roller mills, which employed steel roller within the unit.

Some shaft and pulley mechanism within the mill. The mill contains a store and extra pieces of milling machinery displayed in a museum atmosphere.

A Buckwheat Pancake Mix sack. Such items are still produced and sold at the mill, now run by daughter Joann and her husband, Rich Tarpley, since Ron's passing in June, 2001.

Rich had spent some time with Ron, prior to Ron's unexpected passing, learning the workings of the mill and listening for and feeling the heartbeat of the working mill. Learning to love his involvement with the mill.

For more, indepth history of the mill and the Fain family see the mill website listed above the first photo.

The mill is opposite the Nacoochee Village Antique Mall and the Habersham Winery on Sr 17.GPS: 34D 41.39'N, 83D 42.68'W ele. 1,430'/436 meters Helen Quadrangle