Dial Mill
Why it's listed
Dial Mill is a three-story frame mill beside Little Haynes Creek near Conyers, Georgia. Built around 1830 by Allen Summers on a fractional lot he bought at public auction after the Creek land cessions, it rests on a mortared stone foundation and is framed with hand-hewn virgin pine joined by wooden pegs. Inside, belts, pulleys and grain elevators moved grain between floors for flour and corn meal. A general store, stone storeroom and small warming house stand beside it. The mill passed through the Summers family, then to E.B. Rosser, who added metal rollers in 1898 and renamed it Princeton Roller Mills. George Dial and Sons bought it in 1909, giving it its present name. It operated until the mid-1950s. Its survival with few structural changes gives a clear view of frontier industrial building. Its location near the Hightower Trail adds to its historical interest.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that it was one of the first mills built in this part of Georgia and worked as a grist and flour mill for about a century. It is little changed structurally and shows the industrial architecture used by settlers on the early nineteenth-century Georgia frontier. It also lies near the historic Hightower Trail and the boundary of two Creek land cessions.
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 78001005, listed April 6, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Conyers off GA 138, Conyers |
|---|---|
| County | Rockdale County |
| Listed | April 6, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001005 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 and 1900-, with specific date c. 1830 |
| Architect / builder | Allen Summers |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair; marked both occupied and unoccupied, with a museum planned. The dam, water brace, race and water wheel have been recently rebuilt or replaced. |
| Acreage | 4.5 |
| Coordinates | 33.71225, -83.91416 (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 78001005.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16991761
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.