A trip to Berry College’s Old Mill
Berry College in Rome, Georgia, the other Rome is a private liberal arts college founded in 1902 by Martha Berry. Ms. Berry had a desire to educate the poor children of small farmers that had little chance of a decent education. Initially the school was for boys, but 7 years later a school for girls was began. The school grew by 1926 to become a junior college then became a senior college. The American industrialist Henry Ford was a prominent figure in the growth of the school. His donations allowed the school to buy over 30,000 acres of surrounding land. Ms. Berry grew the school by taking advantage of the labor of the students in exchange for their education. The result of one of these projects is the old mill at Berry.
The Old Mill was built by students with an overseer to supervise construction in 1930. ITIS fed by a reservoir lake located on a nice rise above the wheel.
The iron works were secured by Henry Ford and transferred to the school. The results are a 42 foot diameter overshot water wheel. The wheel was operated for many years by a gentleman that produced meal and grits for students and to sell to the public. It still operates occasionally on special days, and you can actually buy some of the ground meal at the campus gift shop.
The mill from my first visit last year in late Spring, and a reflection in the pond.
It is back three miles or so to reach the Old Mill. It is my favorite place on the campus. There is usually only the occasional jogger coming through, but I like to arrive early to catch the sunrise over the hill that sits in front of it.
Thank you for reading, and I will keep searching for interesting places for you to see. AO