Carroll-Richardson Grist Mill
Why it's listed
Built around 1857 on Mill Street in Cave Spring, this two-story grist mill was erected shortly after Armstead Richardson and John M. Carroll formed a partnership to run a mill. Milton Haynes is named as builder. The structure has a heavy braced-timber frame set on masonry piers, weatherboard siding, a gable roof with seamed metal and a shed front porch. An early-20th-century mill race and an overshot waterwheel sit on the east side, along Mill Race Creek. Inside, large open floors still hold some equipment, though none of it works. Corn and grains were ground and lumber was sawed here, and by the early twentieth century the operation, known as the Cave Spring Light and Power Company, generated electricity for the town. The mill closed in 1950. It is considered the only local example of a mid-19th-century waterpowered mill in the area, and its surviving waterwheel is unusual, since most were replaced by turbines. It is now in poor condition and used for storage.
Significance in brief: The mill is argued to be significant for architecture and engineering as the only local example of a mid-19th-century waterpowered mill in the Cave Spring multiple-resource area. It is also significant for industry as the area's principal historic industry and a major regional mill, where grain was ground, lumber sawed and electricity generated. Its surviving waterwheel is described as unusual.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80001025, listed June 19, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Mill St., Cave Spring |
|---|---|
| County | Floyd County |
| Listed | June 19, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001025 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Milton Haynes |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in poor condition and used for storage; some mill equipment remains but is not operational. The mill closed in 1950. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 34.10135, -85.34084 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80001025.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.