1 - Stephens / Townsend Mill and House, Young Harris A house was built in 1839, and a grist mill in 1865, by James Stephens, a pioneer settler of Brasstown valley.   The house was built in the New England Salt Box Style.   Both were purchased in 1917 by the Townsend family, who expanded the mill operation, adding a second story and sawmill.   The dam washed away in a July 1956 flood, but the Townsend family brought in milled flour and cornmeal to continue serving the community.   The mill building eventually fell into disrepair and was torn down in 1987; the house still stands. All that remains of this grist mill is the breached mill dam.

Mill dam remains, west of creek

Dam ruins on east side of Brasstown Creek This was the mill side, no evidence of which remains...

Close-up of east side dam ruins.

1917 photo of the grist mill, in its original configuration. Gus Townsend rebuilt the old Stephens Mill so that the mill sat, not lengthwise along Brasstown Creek, but reaching from the mill road to the creek (see painting below).

In 2024, our friend Marty Hayden painted the old mill in its later configuration, with the saw mill added. The miller's residence, seen at upper left, still stands.

The miller's residence - 2024 The original log structure is enclosed by the later modifications.

All Text & Images: Copyright 2019.