Galt's Mill Complex

Galt's Mill Complex is a rural mill village on the James River in southeast Amherst County, Virginia, where Stovall Creek, now Beck Creek, meets the river. Its centerpiece is a brick mill dated 1813, surrounded by a c. 1900 store, a c. 1830s stone aqueduct, a boathouse, several vernacular houses and a range of log, frame and concrete barns. The mill was once five and one-half stories but was cut to two stories around 1950 because of structural problems. Inside, hand-planed supports and much of the milling machinery remain, based on an automated system patented by Oliver Evans. The mill operated until 1956. The aqueduct first carried the James River and Kanawha Canal and later a railroad line that still runs through the property. Owners included William Galt, the Warwick family, David Staples and the Turner family. The 535-acre property keeps the look of a working milling community and is protected by a conservation easement.