Lee and Gordon Mill
Why it's listed
Lee and Gordon Mill is a grist mill on the west bank of Chickamauga Creek, northeast of Chickamauga, Georgia. The present two-and-one-half-story frame building dates to 1867, when James Lee rebuilt it after the previous mill burned. It sits on a fieldstone foundation, has unpainted clapboard siding, and keeps its three runs of millstones, corn cleaner, sifters, scales and grist elevators, along with a log dam and stone raceway. The site began with a mill built by James Gordon in 1836, and troops from both armies occupied the area during the Battle of Chickamauga. By 1880 the mill produced over 70,000 bushels, ranking among the leading mills in Walker County, and in 1890 it was reported as the largest on Chickamauga Creek. A general store on the premises sold its products. Regular operation continued until May 1968. The mill was listed as an intact record of nineteenth-century milling in northwest Georgia.
Significance in brief: The nomination holds the mill significant for its architecture, industry and commerce in Chickamauga. It is a typical, utilitarian nineteenth-century northwest Georgia grist mill with largely intact late-nineteenth-century equipment. It was one of Walker County's leading mills and a local commercial center with a general store.
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 80001252, listed February 8, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Red Belt Rd., Chickamauga |
|---|---|
| County | Walker County |
| Listed | February 8, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001252 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 and 1900- |
| Architect / builder | James Lee (built the present mill after 1867 fire) |
| Architectural style | Traditional nineteenth-century grist mill; heavy braced frame with clapboard siding |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant and unoccupied at the time of nomination; mill equipment in near-operating condition and last operated regularly in May 1968. One owner lived in the house on the property. |
| Acreage | 6.6 |
| Coordinates | 34.88370, -85.26684 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 80001252.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q29093028
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.