Mill History

The Story of Blowing Cave Mill

Step inside, slow down, and discover the history that helped build this community.

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Long before the Smoky Mountains became a destination for visitors, small communities across East Tennessee depended on water-powered mills to turn locally grown grain into the food their families needed.

     Blowing Cave Mill stands as a reminder of that time.

     Located near the headwaters of Flat Creek in the Byrd’s Cross Roads community at the foot of English Mountain, the present mill was completed around 1880 and is associated with the Early Brothers, Elbert and William, who were builders and millwrights working through the region.
     The Mill was built as a grist mill, using the power of the water to grind corn and wheat. Its machinery and stone grinding equipment reflect the technology that allowed rural communities to process their own grain before modern commercial milling became commonplace. The site had an earlier mill before the present structure was built.
     For generations, mills like Blowing Cave were more than places where grain was ground. They were important parts of rural communities-places where neighbors brought their crops, exchanged news, and conducted every day business.
     Today, Blowing Cave Mill is one of the surviving examples of the nineteenth century flour and corn mills that once operated throughout Sevier County and East Tennessee.
     After years of restoration and renovation, Blowing Cave Mill has been brought back to life for a new generation. Visitors can explore the historic Mill, see its machinery, learn how water once powered its operation, and experience the atmosphere of an earlier era through the adjoining General Store.