Old Mill Cogs
by Paul Mashburn
Title
Old Mill Cogs
Artist
Paul Mashburn
Medium
Photograph - Hdr Photography
Description
Originally constructed along Lost Creek in Union County, this mill was built by James Rice. After migrating from North Carolina to Sharp’s Station in 1790, “Uncle Jim” and his sons completed construction of the mill in the autumn of 1798. The millhouse was a two-story log structure with a wood shake roof. The wooden water wheel is of the overshot design; meaning water was channeled to the top of the wheel and allowed to pour over it in order to turn the wheel. All the internal gears were carved from hickory and the main water wheel shaft is believed to have been hewn from a yellow poplar tree. The millstones are original, imported from France, and were used as ballast stones on their voyage from abroad.
The mill has endured several changes throughout history. At times, the mill was also rigged to power a sawmill, a cotton gin, a trip hammer, and even to operate a dynamo that supplied electric lights for the mill and Rice home in 1899. A severe storm in 1874 damaged the original millhouse and wooden mechanisms. In 1879, the two-story frame millhouse was constructed with cogwheels carved of “choice” hickory, and the main shaft replaced with one from a white oak tree. This shaft lasted for 50 years after which TVA replaced it with a steel shaft.
Uploaded
March 3rd, 2014
Embed
Share
Comments
There are no comments for Old Mill Cogs. Click here to post the first comment.