Near Pickens in Pickens County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Pickens County Gristmills

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 7, 2021

1. Pickens County Gristmills Marker

Inscription. The present Hagood Mill was built in 1845 by James Hagood and donated to the County of Pickens in 1973 by the James Hagood Bruce family. Over sixty Pickens County gristmill sites have been located, documented and mapped by local historian and miller, Alan Warner. In the 1960's, the Government passed regulations requiring having the farmer's corn tested before grinding, and also, requiring preservatives and nutrients added, effectively shutting down the country's mills. In the 1970's South Carolina made an exemption for water-powered gristmills to operate. In the 1990's, Warner helped restore this mill and was miller from 1996 until 2009. These millstones are mostly all that's left of the gristmills they came from.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1845.

Location. 34° 55.564′ N, 82° 43.312′ W. Marker is near Pickens, South Carolina, in Pickens County. It can be reached from Hagood Mill Road west of Brevard Highway (U.S. 178), on the right when traveling west. Marker is in the Hagood Mill Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 138 Hagood Mill Rd, Pickens SC 29671, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Carolina’s and pstate,

in the Foothills, in the Golden Corner. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Hagood Mill Historic Site (a few steps from this marker);

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The Hagood Cabin (within shouting distance of this marker); The Murphree-Hollingsworth Cabin (within shouting distance of this marker); Hagood Mill / Prehistoric Rock Carvings (within shouting distance of this marker); Soapstone Boulder (within shouting distance of this marker); Moorefield Memorial Highway (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Griffin-Christopher House (approx. 2.9 miles away); Carpenter's Wheel (approx. 3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pickens.

Pickens County Gristmills Marker and the Hagood Mill Millstone Memorial image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, May 18, 2025

2. Pickens County Gristmills Marker and the Hagood Mill Millstone Memorial

The Hagood Mill Millhouse can be seen in the distance.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 7, 2021

3. Hagood Mill

The site is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 463 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 7, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on June 21, 2025, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 3. submitted on November 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.