Travel Topics
Historic Old Mill
Is Modern Resort
Since 1830, it lias served ancient Flat
Rock as grist mill, post office, clnli,
hotel, furniture factory, assembly
ground, and apartment building.
By LEIYOIR RAY
In its latest role, "The Old Mill" serves as head¬
quarters for o
б
vocation complex which
includes lakeside motel units and the Robert E.
Lee III summer estate.
The mill pond ond its sondy beach provide
swimming, booting, ond fishing for guests; and
there are lawn bawling, shuffloboord, ond a
picnic pavilion an the grounds.
The history of “The Old Mill” goes
back nearly 140 years to the day, De¬
cember 21, 1830, when Peter Summey
took out land grant number 12901 for
the property.
Mr. Summey was a miller and picked
this site on Earle's Creek in Flat Rock
because the stream was just right for
putting up an undershot wheel to oper¬
ate his mill. He ran the mill some 16
years and although no record exists of
the type building he had constructed,
it was more than likely a log cabin.
His brother, George, operated a tav¬
ern on the high road (now U.S. 25)
about a half-mile South of the present
Flat Rock post office. George was also
the postmaster. Some people objected
to going to the tavern to get their mail,
so George gave up the office in 1836.
Peter was appointed in his place on
May 16 and he moved the post office
to The Old Mill.
However, the present Flat Rock
Road did not exist, There was another
road, which was a part of the Little
River Road that crossed the High Road
to the north and wound through
present-day Bonclarken and came out
below The Old Mill. Since East Flat
Rock did not exist, it was not a through
road but stopped at Many Pines (pres¬
ent-day Hillandale sub-division). This
was too out-of-the-way for the general
public and the post office was moved
back to George Summey’s tavern in
two years.
Club and Hotel
In 1846, Peter Summey sold his
property to Jacob Ramseur, who con¬
veyed it to Alexander Ramseur in
1847. On December 18, 1847, Andrew
Johnstone (who was killed by bush¬
whackers during the Civil War) and
Judge Mitchell King bought the prop¬
erty from Ramseur.
This land then became involved with
the property put together by a group
of Summer people in Flat Rock to
form a club. Henry T. Farmer built
the club house but before construction
was completed the club disbanded and
Farmer bought the dub holdings. He
opened the clubhouse as the Farmer
Hotel.
With the road conditions being such
as to prohibit transportation of heavy
objects. Mr. Farmer could not come
by furnishings readily for the hotel and
for the many other homes he con¬
structed locally. To solve this problem,
he set up a furniture factory — the
location was The Old Mill.
He used the power of the water¬
wheel to operate saws and lathes and
made tables, chairs, beds and cabinets.
“Flat Rock Chair”
Here was developed the sturdy,
functional “Flat Rock Chair" which is
so well known in this area. The chair
was made of walnut and the two varia¬
tions in style were in the arms. The
most numerous existing today has the
narrow side up and a circle at the end
of the arm. The other style has flat
arms, wide enough to hold an ash tray
or a Mint Julep. There was also a Flat
Rock sofa, a huge affair by modern
standards, and a rocker in this style.
A post Civil War newspaper article
credits Wesley M. Justice, a Hender¬
sonville postmaster (I880's) and cabi¬
net maker, with being the designer of
the Flat Rock Chair. This turned out
to be entirely possible as it has been
determined that before the war, Mr.
НАШЕ
COUNTRY JETORE
, t ^
г
Too Good To Mise
MAGGIE, N. C.
Justice worked for Farmer in his furni¬
ture factory.
After the Civil War. a member of
the Smythe family owned The Old Mill,
as well as the rest of the property from
there to East Flat Rock. The Mill had
been re-converted to a grist-mill,
probably during the war, and various
people operated it.
After the turn of the century Wil¬
liam C. Jordan was the operator of the
mill. He was called Will and the last
name was pronounced as if it were
spelled “Jerdon.” For more than 50
years the mill was known simply as
“Jcrdon’s Mill.”
In 1916, Will Jordan had become
the leading miller in Henderson Coun¬
ty. As a matter of fact, The Old Mill
was officially called “The Henderson
County Flour Mill.” Mr. Jordan
“GET AWAY FROM IT ALL”
Vacation Crime in Che Bahamas aboard your
private charier ^ailing Yacht. Our 12th year.
Write air mail tor ref. & folder.
Criming Ciuh Ltd., POB 22. Nassau
BAHAMAS
BEAR DEN
CAMPGROUND
ON THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
Between Linvjlle Falls and
Little Switzerland, N. C.
Mile I'osl 324.8
Entrance on Bear Den Mt. Road
300 Acres - 350 Campsites - Water -
Electrical outlets - Groceries - Gas -
Ice - Wood - Laundry - Hot Showers -
Beach - Swimming - 3 Play orcos with
Equipment . . . North Carolina's Finest,
THE STATE, JULY 15, 196S
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