Great Falls Cotton Mill

Located within the boundaries of Rock Island State Park, the Great Falls Cotton Mill was once home to major industry in the Upper Cumberland. Asa Faulkner is widely considered by historians as "the nestor of all Warren County's manufacturing interests." Faulkner came to Warren County in 1830, and immediately began to use the waterways to make money. He built his first grist mill on Hickory Creek. By the time Faulkner died in 1886, he owned and operated five mills, two cotton gins, and two wool carding machines. His greatest dream was to construct a large three story cotton mill. He spent the last few years of his life acquiring property on which to construct this mill. His son Clay, and business partners Jesse and H.L. Walling made sure that Faulkner's cotton mill plan was carried out. In 1892 the large three story brick building was constructed. The building was one of the largest of its kind measuring out at 23,000 square feet. The location of the building was strategically placed near the Caney Fork River. The river along with the addition of the railroad made transporting cotton very easy. At the peak of the mill's operation 4,000 sheets of cotton were produced per day. The mill employed a large number of people. Due to this fact, a town was set up. This town, known as "Fall City," was designed to house mill workers. Fall City saved workers time traveling north from McMinnville or south from Sparta. The city was home to a post office, general store, and saw and grist mill. The heartbeat of the community was the Cotton Mill. In July 1902 tragedy struck the Fall City community, when a flood came. The flood caused the Caney Fork and Collins Rivers to rise rapidly. According to accounts, Faulkner and several of his employees were trapped inside the Mill. Faulkner had been trying to rescue his employees but had gotten trapped. Citizens of McMinnville tried to come to the rescue, but the Bybee Branch had become a "roaring torrent" therefore making it impossible to reach Fall City. The Cotton Mill survived with only its mill wheel being destroyed. The same could not be said of Fall City, as it was all but washed away. Faulkner and the Wallings had had enough however and decided to sell the mill. The Tennessee Power Company eventually purchased the mill in 1912. Following the creation of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal program, the Tennessee Valley Authority was created. They acquired the old mill in 1930. In 1973 the mill was leased to the Tennessee State Parks service. It now a part of the Rock Island State Park. Sadly the Great Falls Cotton Mill has been used only for storage since its permanent closure in 1902. In 1982 the building was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. According to its National Register nomination plans had been set in place to study the building for potential uses. Among the possibly uses mentioned were a restaurant, cotton mill museum, and lodge. Sadly the results, and status of this study are unknown. The Great Falls Mill is one of the most endangered historic sites in the state of Tennessee. The Great Falls Mill is one of the best examples of an historic site that needs help. At Moore Historical Consulting I am 100% committed to historic preservation. Our historic sites do not deserve the same fate as the Great Falls Mill. Contact me today to learn more about the historic preservation strategies I offer.

The Great Falls Mill in its heyday.

Be sure to come back next week for another Throwback Thursday presented by Moore Historical Consulting. Whether your need is genealogy, business history, historic litigation, historic preservation, or anything in between, contact me today and put me to work for you. At Moore Historical Consulting I make exploring your past fun and easy!!