Prater's Mill
Why it's listed
Prater's Mill is a grist mill complex on Coahulla Creek north of Dalton, Georgia, dating to about 1859. The two-story weatherboard mill sits partly over the creek and a stone dam, and its interior has hand-hewn pine timbers joined with wooden pegs. Inside are grinders, sifters, hoppers and belts, including pieces labeled by makers in Knoxville and Richmond, Indiana. Three turbines once produced 75 horsepower. The complex also has a granary, a T-plan store and the brick Prater House, rebuilt in 1915 after a fire. Benjamin Franklin Prater built the mill after buying the land in 1858 with Tillman Pitner. It was an integrated operation offering ginning, horseshoeing and lodging, and customers travelled long distances to use it. It is the last of twenty-seven grist mills once found in Whitfield County. The Prater family operated it until 1954. Today it hosts a fair twice a year that funds its upkeep and demonstrates milling.
Significance in brief: It contains the only remaining grist mill in Whitfield County, out of twenty-seven that once operated there. It is described as an integrated mill complex that also offered ginning, blacksmithing, sawmilling, a store and a post office. Its surviving machinery and wooden structure are called outstanding examples of an old American industry.
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 78001010, listed April 25, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N of Dalton on GA 2, Dalton |
|---|---|
| County | Whitfield County |
| Listed | April 25, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001010 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Benjamin Franklin Prater |
| Architectural style | Antebellum industrial mill architecture |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mill in good condition with operable machinery; used for a twice-yearly fair where corn and wheat are ground. The Prater House is rented as a residence. |
| Acreage | 25 |
| Coordinates | 34.89578, -84.92197 (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 78001010.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7238634
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.