Originally built near Ellijay, Georgia, in Fannin County in about 1869, the Grist Mill served that area for almost 100 years. A mill grinds dried, whole-grains like corn and wheat to meal or flour. This mill had two large millstones to do that work. One stationary millstone was topped by a second millstone that was powered by the waterwheel. The speed of the millstones and the texture of the meal could be regulated to achieve the desired product.

The beautiful waterwheel of the Stone Mountain Park Grist Mill is 13 feet 8 inches in diameter and has 32 dippers. It is a faithful reproduction of the original waterwheel, well-balanced and in almost constant motion. The building housed the millstones and was, of course, where the miller worked. Roofed with cedar shakes, the siding and flooring are of pine, hickory, walnut, and cypress. Today they’re rock-hard and beautifully stained by time.