Mabry
Mill
Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia
#NC-05150-GM - Notecards
Also available in Notecard Assortment Pack #AST-600
#PR-05150-GM - Open Edition Print
Also included in unmatted Print Set #PST-600
Ed Mabry built
this rustic grist mill in 1910 near Meadows of Dan on unusually
flat land that lacked a stream strong enough to generate power
for milling. So he and his wife Lizzie began buying land in order
to gain the water rights. By 1914, they had purchased five small
parcels and built an extensive flume system. A small dam stored
the runoff from rains and spring thaws.
The Mabrys
operated two sets of stones, one for grinding cornmeal and the
other for a grain mixture fed to livestock. Although the mill
was smaller than most, Mabry was able to gain many loyal customers.
Many of them also were drawn by the blacksmith shop, sawmill and
carpentry shop he operated. Throughout his life, Ed Mabry was
known as a talented handyman. "Carry it on to Ed" was
common advice when repairs of any kind were required.
After he died
in 1936, his wife operated the mill for a while on her own. When
designing the Parkway in the 1930s and '40s, landscape architects
quickly chose Mabry Mill as one of the special scenic places to
be preserved. Although the mill remains operational, it grinds
meal only occasionally. Just as it did when the Mabrys ran it,
the mill remains a focal point of the community and a gathering
place for neighbors.
Text
© 2000 Terry White, Drawing © 2000 Bill Harrah
.
. . GRIST MILLS . . . (Click on an image to see
the actual notecard size)