Stone's Mills

Stone's Mills. . Listen! That sound of rushing water is the Neuse River flowing over the remnants of an old mill dam. In the early to mid-19th century, this was the site of a bustling industrial enterprise known as Stone's Mills. Carts and wagons arrived here loaded with corn to be ground into sacks of meal. Rough bales of cotton were ginned and then turned into thread or cloth. It was a loud and busy place., What Was It Like At The Mill?, Mills were community centers where families often spent the day socializing with other families while they waited for their corn to be ground. They could trade their corn for staples such as sugar and coffee and have the local blacksmith re-shod a horse or the mill wheelwright repair a wagon wheel. In the warmer months, adults and children alike enjoyed swimming and fishing in the river and mill pond., What Happened To The Mills? , As time passed, technology changed. The waterwheel mills were replaced with electric-powered, steel roller mills. These new, larger mills were more efficient and their goods were easier to transport with the arrival of railroads. The old mills fell into disrepair and were gradually reclaimed by the rivers and forests. You can still see remnants of Stone's Mills: the old mill dam in the Neuse River, canals or "races" that carried water to the mill, and low stone walls that were part of a building's foundation., (caption) , Brazier's 1820 Survey Of Stone's Mill , The mill dam was located where a road crossed the river. Remnants of the dam are still seen today. Compare the 1820 site in the red rectangle with the map from today.