The first grist mill was built in 1853 and operated for nine years before it was burned down in 1862, at the same time as the covered bridge. Ten Years later, in 1872, a large roller flouring mill capable of producing 50 barrels a day was built by Salem Machine Works at the cost of $4,500 on the property of James Robinson Caldwell along Howards Creek at the end of present-day Mill Creek Road. Twenty-five years later, on April 4, 1898, James Caldwell transferred ownership of the “Commonly known Caldwell Mill” to Silas B. Mason through a declaration of trust. The trust included the Caldwell Mill, mill dam, mill race, dwelling house, fields and surrounding land (Approximately 40 acres of land surrounding the mill and dwelling house), and a barn. On March 2, 1899, a lease agreement between Silas B. Mason and J.C. Dunbar was made where Silas retained ownership of the Caldwell Mill but gave J.C. Dunbar possession and control of the mill and approximately 40 acres of land. Dunbar was expected to manage the milling business, keep the mill, dam, and race in working order, handle all labor and operating expenses, share profits and losses equally with Mason. 

The agreement was initially for two years with an option for Dunbar to extend it for three additional years. On March 12, 1913, Samuel C. Beard was appointed the successor trustee of the “Caldwell Mill Property,” selling the property and its contents to Elmer Loudermilk on April 4, 1921, for $4,500. Elmer Loudermilk then sold the property to George P. Alderson on February 25, 1923, for $5,000. Given the language used within this deed, it is highly believed that the mill was still in operation in 1923.  By 1942, when the property was sold to Samuel A. Brewster the mill had ceased operations. The mill is thought to have still been standing in 1942, along with the mill dam, mill race, and dwelling house. In the 1960s, when the United States interstate system was being constructed, the old mill dam was destroyed. Constructed out of stones from Howards Creek, the dam was located approximately 100 feet away from the second Howards Creek crossing going towards Harts Run on the downstream side. From the dam on the left-hand side of the creek, the mill race ran for an estimated 2,000 feet or less to the mill. 

Today, owned by Robert Deitz, only the dwelling house and a portion of the mill race (approx. 200 ft.) remain.  

Today the mill race is nearly gone, only a section of about 200 feet is left visible to see.  Much of the the race has been filled in over time with dirt and debris such as trees scraps as shown below.