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MABRY MILL (VA)

Location:
Rocky Knob Campground
Blue Ridge Parkway, VA

First a little bit of history about Mabry Mill from Wikipedia:

Mabry Mill is a watermill located at milepost 176.2 of Blue Ridge Parkway in Floyd County, Virginia. A short trail around the mill connects historical exhibits about life in rural Virginia. The trail allows visitors to view the gristmill, sawmill, and blacksmith shop.

Mabry Mill was built by Edwin Boston Mabry (E.B. Mabry). E.B. Mabry returned to Floyd County in 1903 and began the construction of the mill. It was first a blacksmith and wheelwright shop, then became a sawmill. By 1905 it was in operation as a gristmill. By 1910 the front part of the mill was completed and included a lathe for turning out wheel hubs, a tongue and groove lathe, a planer and a jig-saw. Between 1905 and 1914 E.B. Mabry bought adjacent tracts of land, mostly for the purpose of acquiring more water power.

MABRY MILL

An early Thursday evening photo after nearly everyone had left
After closing there were four deer inside the fence that surrounds the mill...
...they were all munching on the same thing, apples that had fallen from the trees.
An early Friday morning view of the mill
A little bit closer view
The inside pulleys that are attached to the outside water wheel
A belt driven jigsaw
The sawmill table inside of the mill
The drying rack for the lumber after it had been cut
A puffy cheeked chipmunk inside the mill, stocking up on corn for winter no doubt
The stone grinding wheels for the grist mill
The front entrance to the Mabry's Cabin
The rear entrance to the cabin
A whisky still
The blacksmith shop
A different view of the mill
The flume that carried the water down the mountain to power the mill
The water finally arrives at the top of the mill wheel
Simple fencing that you see everywhere along the Parkway
Bidding a final farewell to Mabry Mill

OUR EXPERIENCE AT THE MILL

Walking around, taking photos and looking at all of the exhibits was interesting, but talking to the rangers and the mill's caretaker was the highlight of Mabry Mill for us.

The rangers explained why the cabin's doorways were less than 6 feet tall. It wasn't because the Mabry's were short people, but because it helped keep the heat closer to the floor during the winters.

The mill's caretaker must have been in his early eighties and was proud to mention that he grew up not more than 5 miles down the road. He is the one who throws corn on the mill's floor and feeds no less than four chipmunks all year long. They scurry in, pack as much corn in the pouches of their mouth as possible and scurry back out. They are very fast and are extremely camera shy.

He also took time to explain to us what each attachment in the mill does and how they operate off of the same shaft of pulleys that is driven by the water wheel. Belts are attached to each devise and the pulley to power them one at a time. The whole time he was talking with us he was sweeping out the mill and keeping it in perfect show condition.

Until next time
TWO PEAS
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