The mill is located on a small part of an original land grant of 151 acres granted to Virginia Revolutionary War veteran, Mordecai Lewis in 1810. Lewis' son-in-law, Isaac Love, established the Pigeon Forge, including a bloomery furnace and a trip hammer. Lewis mined brown hematite ore on 7,000 acres of unfarmable timberland nearby.

Isaac's son, William, dammed up the Little River in 1830, and using 40' long yellow poplar/tulip tree logs 14"X 14", built the mill that has today become the Pigeon Forge Mill. Pillars of river rock, supporting the stream side of the mill early-on, have since been replaced or reinforced with concrete. The pillars have survived more than a few floods, the worst being in 1875 and 1920; the nearby bridge wasn't as lucky either time.

The mill utilizes a 24' breast wheel and several tub wheels to power two runs of millstones weighing a ton each set for a total of about 4.600 lbs. The old system of belts, pulleys, shafts, grain elevators, bolters, sifters, dressers, middlings separators, etc. still do a reliable job of grinding & finishing grains to flour & meal.

In the mid-late 1800's, such mills were an integral part of each community, ensuring the raw materials for day to day subsistance. During the Civil War, looms were installed to make uniforms for for Union militia volunteers by a Mr. Trotter. Trotter also added a saw mill and a 60 rpm, 30 hp wooden waterwheel. Trotter's son, George dismantled the iron forge in 1885, continuing to operate the grist/flour mill. A.T.householder installed a generator to produce electricity soon after purchasing the mill in 1900. The milldam redone in 1916, enabled the mill to provide power for much of the community. Owners since 1900, though many, have all resonded to the increased tourist trade along US 411, whereby making the mill what it is today.

A grindstone perhaps used once within the mill. The mill can grind about 1,000 pounds of flour or meal a day, six days a week. Each bag of stonegound product is filled, weighed and tied, all by hand to ensure quality & quantity.

The Old Mill Restaurant next to the Old Mill, uses many of products produced at the mill to create the many items available on its menus. These include, biscuits, muffins, pancakes, waffles,hush puppies, grits, crepes and a complete line of homemade Artisan Breads.

Area residents and tourists come from miles around to enjoy meals at The Old Mill Restaurant or The Old Mill Pottery House Café and Grille as well as enjoy Pigeon Forge shopping at our stores such as the The Old Mill Pigeon River Pottery, The Old Mill Farmhouse Kitchen, The Old Mill Candy Kitchen, our The Old Mill Toy Bin for children and gifts, or the The Old Mill General Store for grown up gifts and more. All these businesses are located either in the Old Mill Restaurant structure or somewhere nearby.

The interior of the mill consists of hand-hewn hemlock and oak walls, held together by hickory pegs, and the millhouse's exterior walls have been weatherboarded with yellow poplar boards. The floor consists of nailed pine boards. The elongated section on the north side of the millhouse was built in the latter half of the 19th century to house the mill's new sawmill. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Pigeon_Forge_Mill