Laurel Mill and Col. Jordan Jones House
Why it's listed
At the crossing of Sandy and Richland creeks near Gupton stand the last remains of Laurel, once a busy little town. Laurel Mill is a two-story frame grist mill set on stone piers over the water, with turbine machinery beneath and millstones inside. Across the road, on a hill above the creek, sits a one-story frame cottage on a raised brick basement, with fluted pilasters at the corners and heavy bracketed cornices in a vernacular Greek Revival-Italianate style. Both are linked to Colonel Jordan F. Jones, born in 1821, who bought the mill property in 1860 and built a complex of saw, grist and cotton mills, a store, a gin and later a creamery and wagon factory. Jones died in 1906, and the properties were sold at auction in 1909. The mill is the only operating grist mill in Franklin County, and the house is probably from the 1850s.
Significance in brief: Laurel Mill is the only operating grist mill in Franklin County and the sole surviving part of Colonel Jordan F. Jones's industrial complex, which included saw, grist and cotton mills. The nearby cottage, probably built for Jones in the 1850s, is an example of the vernacular Greek Revival-Italianate style. Together they represent nineteenth-century industry in an overwhelmingly agricultural county.
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 75001262, listed May 30, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Gupton at jct. of SR 1432 and 1436, Gupton |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | May 30, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001262 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1850s, 1860s (19th century) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Greek Revival-Italianate (house); nineteenth-century grist mill |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Architecture, Invention |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both buildings are described as in good condition and occupied; the mill is running again and grinds meal on a limited scale. |
| Acreage | 40 |
| Coordinates | 36.17792, -78.19139 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 75001262.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19875017
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.