Old Mill Water Wheel at Berry College - Rome, GA - Working Water Wheels on Waymarking.com

From the Berry College website:

Constructed in 1930, the Old Mill boasts an iron hub which had originally been of service at Hermitage, an early manufacturing community near the Shannon village between Rome and Calhoun, Georgia, and was a gift to Berry from The Republic Mining (bauxite) and Manufacturing Company. Henry Ford had the hub moved to Berry where the wheel was rebuilt.

The wooden overshot waterwheel, considered one of the largest in the world at 42 feet in diameter, was constructed by student workers. For many years, the mill was operated by Mr. Green Berry Goodson, a white-bearded miller who ground Berry-grown corn into meal and grits. Water is piped directly from Berry's reservoir lake to the wheel. Once primed, the force of gravity is strong enough to push the water up the stone column, and over the wheel, causing it to turn.

During 1977 the wheel was completely rebuilt as a cooperative project involving Berry students, staff, alumni, and friends, and was dedicated to the memory of Mr. Gordon Keown on June 3, 1978. Mr. Keown was an alumnus of Berry, a long-time staff member and acting director of the Berry Schools from 1942-1944.

During 1985, physical plant staff and student volunteers restored the mechanism and made grinding of corn meal once again possible. The Old Mill is operated on special occasions such as Mountain Day. When available, the Oak Hill Gift Shop sells cornmeal ground at the Old Mill. See our Calendar of Events page for potential grinding dates.

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date of your visit and a brief description of your experience and any additional information you may have about the waterwheel, its current condition, etc. We would very much like at least one original photo from your visit, but it is not absolutely necessary.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   02/10/2009 Lat34North visited it 12/29/2008 Marine Biologist visited it

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