Fowler’s Mill: A Heritage Development Plan Monroe County, Tennessee

Tennessee Civil War National Heritage

Area

&

Center for Historic Preservation,

Middle Tennessee State University

March 2020

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Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….…………3

Why Fowler’s Mill Matters…………………………………………………………………….…4

Fowler’s Mill History……………………………………………………………………..4

Fowler’s Mill and Tennessee Milling History…………………………………………...10

Fowler’s Mill and Tennessee Agricultural History……………………………………...12

Fowler’s Mill as an Architectural Gem………………………………………………….14

Map and Key of Fowler’s Mill…………………………………………………………………..15

Architectural Description………………………………………………………………….……..16

North Elevation…………………………………………………………….…………….16

East Elevation……………………………………………………………………………18

South Elevation…………………………………………………………………………..18

Interior……………………………………………………………………………………22

Preservation Issues…………………………………………………………………………….…29

Vegetation Overgrowth………………………………………………………………..…29

Missing Tin Roof Pieces…………………………………………………………………30

Concrete Dam……………………………………………………………………………30

Board Replacement………………………………………………………………………31

Machinery………………………………………………………………………………..32

Heritage Development Planning…………………………………………………………………34

Heritage Tourism Strategies……………………………………………………………..34

Land Trust and Conservation Organizations…………………………………………….40

Agritourism………………………………………………………………………………43

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….47

Endnotes…………………………………………………………………………………………49

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Introduction

Located north of Madisonville in Monroe County, Tennessee, the c.1875 National

Register-listed Fowler’s Mill is a grist and sawmill associated with the Reconstruction Era in

Tennessee history. In 1983, the mill was listed in the National Register of Historic Places along

with its associated dwelling, the William J. Fowler House, also built c. 1875. At the time of

listing, non-contributing buildings on the property included a general store (said to have been

operated by William J. Fowler, Sr.) and a vacant dwelling.

The Fowler’s Mill complex was originally part of the 4500-acre Fowler Farm, a

Tennessee Century Farm begun in 1824 by Charles Kelso and his wife, Elizabeth Wyley Kelso.

The current owner of the mill, Bill Alexander, approached the MTSU Center for Historic

Preservation to assess the historic preservation needs of the mill. Additionally, the owner

requested the CHP to assist in developing strategies for the continued preservation of the mill,

which includes addressing issues of sustainability, community engagement and partnerships, and

sources of funding for future planning purposes.

In August 2019, CHP staff members Dr. Antoinette van Zelm (assistant director) and Dr.

Lydia Simpson (programs manager) and graduate research assistant J. Ethan Holden visited the

site to document the property and discuss the owner’s concerns and goals for the property. From

that site visit, additional research, and consultation with CHP director Dr. Carroll Van West,

Holden wrote the final report.

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Why Fowler’s Mill Matters

Fowler’s Mill is a c.1875, open heavy-timber-frame construction with mortise-and-tenon

joints, covered with clapboard on the exterior, making it an excellent example of post-Civil War

craftsmanship and vernacular architecture in East Tennessee. A once-common part of the rural

Tennessee landscape, mills such as the one at the Fowler Farm provided the necessary mechanics

to transform raw local products such as wheat and corn to flour and meal, and timber to building

material, playing an important role in the growing built environment and sustainability of rural

communities before and after the Civil War. As the fourth mill on this site at Fork Creek and the

only surviving mill in Monroe County, Fowler’s Mill is a physical reminder of the role mills and

milling families played in the lives of rural Tennesseans throughout the 19th and into the 20th

centuries. In addition, the mill serves as an excellent example of economic revitalization in

Reconstruction-era Tennessee, as families and communities rebuilt after the devastation of the

Civil War years. As a historic building associated with a Tennessee Century Farm, Fowler’s Mill

is also representative of the history and evolution of Tennessee agriculture and economics that

the state’s Century Farms convey.

Fowler’s Mill History

The mill is a physical legacy of both the locally important Kelso and Fowler milling

families and the role of milling in the development and sustenance of rural Tennessee

communities. The Kelso and Fowler families, beginning with Revolutionary War veteran Hugh

Kelso, owned and operated several mills in the Monroe County area from the late 1700s to the

mid 1930s. Saw and grist mills played a vital role in the life and development of small, isolated

rural communities. In addition to grinding corn and flour, saw and grist mills also served as a

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focal point for the everyday life of the community’s residents. The mill was originally part of

the Fowler Farm, which was founded in 1824 and recognized as a Tennessee Century Farm in

1976. Thus, the mill and surrounding agricultural landscape is also representative of the history

and evolution of Tennessee agriculture from the early 1800s to the 20th century. Finally, the

Fowler’s Mill complex is significant as an example of a post-Civil War saw and grist mill and as

an intact landscape of work/agriculture. There are several other resources on the property in

addition to the 1875 mill, including the general store, William E. Fowler House, William J.

Fowler House, rural setting, and 1940s concrete mill dam. As a group, these buildings convey

the change and continuity that are the hallmarks of the Century Farm program.

Hugh Kelso was born in Augusta County, Virginia, in 1760.1 Hugh’s tombstone in

Robertson Cemetery, the family cemetery of the Kelso/Fowler families located nearby on

Loudon Road, indicates Kelso was Captain of the Washington County North Carolina Militia

during the Revolutionary War.2 As payment for his service, Hugh Kelso received a land grant on

the 25th of May, 1810. The grant allocated to him two hundred and fifty-two acres in Blount

County, Tennessee.3 By the time he received the land grant, Hugh had already been living in

Jefferson County, Tennessee, since 1800 with his son Charles Kelso.4 Charles was born in

March 1786, and his mother Katherine died three years after he was born in 1789.5

It was during Hugh’s residence in Blount County that he began his first milling operation.

In May of 1800, Hugh purchased 640 acres at the mouth of Baker’s Creek. Family tradition

suggests that a mill was constructed from this land on Baker’s Creek in Morganton, Tennessee,

between 1793-1801.6 Blount County Court Minutes reinforce this claim in a 1799 entry that

allowed Hugh Kelso to “build on Baker’s Creek at or near the mouth thereof, he being the owner

of the land on each side of said creek.”7

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Sometime during the early 1810s, the Kelsos decided to move from Blount County to

nearby Monroe County. On September 14th, 1814, Hugh and Charles Kelso sold the 31 acres that

now contains the town of Morganton for $10,000, making quite a profit given that they only paid

$600 for the full 640 acres in 1800.8 The exact sale date of the mill is unknown. In her

dissertation “The Brainerd Mill and the Tellico Mills: The Development of Water Milling in the

East Tennessee Valley,” Loretta Ettien Lautzenheiser states that the Kelsos sold the mill to

persons named Cobb and Pain in 1818 for $2,000.9 Yet an article published by the Knoxville

Register on January 11th, 1820, refers to a mill and various other operations for sale two years

after the 1818 sale date proposed by Lautzenheiser:

For Sale: The subscriber has for sale, in Morganton, Blount county, a tan yard, with one pool, one bait, and six vats, together with a good framed bark house, and bark mill. Also, a new framed house two stories high with good brick chimney, which he will sell low for cash down, or on a short credit. Any person wishing to purchase can apply to Charles Kelso in Morganton or my self. John Torbet, Dec. 14th.10

Though the exact sale date remains unknown, the 1830 U.S. Census shows that by 1830 Charles

Kelso, now forty-four, lived in Monroe County.11 Hugh Kelso died a year prior in 1829 and was

buried in Robertson Cemetery.12

Charles Kelso and his wife Elizabeth Hall continued the family tradition of milling, in

addition to expanding agricultural production. Family tradition states that a new grist and saw-

mill on Fork Creek was constructed sometime between 1793 and 1801.13 Local newspapers or

other sources do not refer to a Kelso mill in Monroe County. Indeed, there is little documentation

of Charles and Elizabeth’s milling activities. In contrast, their status as landowners and

agricultural producers is documented. The Century Farm application for the Fowler Farm, which

the current mill complex was originally part of, lists Charles and Elizabeth as owning four to five

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thousand acres.14 They and their eight children lived on this property and produced corn, wheat,

hay, oats, cattle, horses, mules, and hogs.

Like many others in the southern United States, Charles Kelso and his family enslaved

African Americans and used their labor to run the farm. The 1850 U.S. Federal Census Slave

Schedules document the lives of the enslaved people who worked on the Kelso farm. In the 1850

Census, Charles Kelso owned a total of eight slaves, including a forty-four-year-old female, a

forty-three-year-old male, a forty-year-old male, a twenty-year-old female, a nine-year-old male,

an eight-year-old female, a seven-year-old female, and a three-year-old female.15 The death of

Charles Kelso on April 25th, 1854, and his last will and testament further documents the lives of

the enslaved on the Fowler’s Mill and surrounding property:

I give and bequeath unto my wife Elizabeth five negros named Peter, James, Maria, Bill, and a child Elick during her natural life and at the death of my wife I desire all said negros be equally divided among all my children …16

Following Charles’s death, his wife Elizabeth and daughter Mary J. Kelso inherited the enslaved

people listed in Charles’ will and subsequently increased the total number of people enslaved by

the family. The 1860 U.S. Federal Census Slave Schedule reveals that Elizabeth enslaved eight

people, including a fifty-eight-year-old male, a fifty-six-year-old female, a thirty-year-old

female, a twenty-one-year-old male, a twelve-year-old male, an eleven-year-old female, a four-

year-old female, and a baby boy. In the same schedule, Mary J. Kelso is listed as owning a

nineteen-year-old male, a nineteen-year-old female, and an eleven-year-old female.17

Unfortunately, not much is known about the enslaved on the property beyond their ages and

some of their names. Comparing the ages listed in the 1850 and 1860 Slave Schedule with

Charles’s will seems to indicate that Peter, James, Maria, Bill, and Elick remained on the farm

and were not separated following Charles’s death. Though it is unclear if it was the case with the

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Kelsos, enslaved African Americans often constructed farm buildings and ran their owners’

businesses, such as milling or blacksmithing.

The Civil War began in 1861. This tumultuous period saw nation and family divided, and

many rural farming families saw violence and conflict firsthand. An article from the

Madisonville Democrat on April 1st, 1942, reveals that the Fowler family was one of those

families. The article details an episode involving a certain John Duncan, who was a “notorious

bushwacker” in the Monroe County area. Duncan and a group of men raided the home of Mary J.

Kelso and her husband, William J. Fowler. Wiley Kelso, the brother of Mary J. Kelso and the

son of Charles and Elizabeth, wrote the Union general headquartered at Loudon about the

incident. The article described Wiley as a “union man.” After receiving the letter, the general

sent a squad of men out to Piney where Duncan lived and killed him. The article says that

Duncan “fell in the lap of a woman who was wearing one of Mother Fowler’s [Mary J. Kelso]

silk dresses, stolen the night the band had entered the house.”18 This story illustrates the violence

and complex nature of the Civil War as it unfolded on farms and in rural communities across the

South. The Fowler Century Farm application reinforces this point: “A good bit of trouble with

people who took no stand in the war, but who threatened, ravaged and plundered landowners.”

With the death of Mary J. Kelso’s mother Elizabeth in 1869, Mary and her husband,

William J. Fowler, became the next generation of millers to own and operate the farm.19 William

J. Fowler was a somewhat prominent person in the surrounding community. Though he

previously lived on his family’s farm, Fowler relocated to Mary Kelso’s farm after their marriage

in 1839. William served as a member of the Tennessee State Legislature in 1874 and again in

1886. He was also a strong prohibitionist.20 In addition to his time as a statesman, William J.

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Fowler also helped found Tulogahler College, which was located on the southern bank of Fork

Creek, in 1878. Fowler donated the site and erected the first building.21

William J. and Mary Kelso Fowler built the mill on Fork Creek. Family tradition states

that three prior mills stood on the same site as the current Fowler’s Mill building. The current

building was only constructed after a severe flood destroyed the last Kelso Mill in 1875.

Curiously, no mention is made of either the construction or the destruction of any Kelso or

Fowler mills. William J. Fowler and his descendants ran the mill until it was sold to Samuel E.

Ghormley in 1937.22 William J. Fowler died on October 1st, 1916, and Mary J. Kelso died on

May 15th, 1919.23 Upon his death, William J. Fowler was described as a “highly esteemed citizen

of Philadelphia, Tenn.” in the Chattanooga Daily Times.24

A letter uploaded to TN Gen Web.com and attributed to Bessie Gerding, one of the

daughters of William J. Fowler and Mary J. Kelso, sheds some light on the mill and the property

after the death of William and Mary. Dated November 16, 1928, and directed to a certain Elisa,

Bessie’s letter discusses William E. Fowler, the son of William J. Fowler and Mary J. Kelso, and

his tenure at the mill and farm. Will owned and ran the general store present on the Fowler’s Mill

complex. However, the author indicates that between taking care of his mother and father, in

addition to his own family’s feeding and expenses, William E. Fowler became inundated with

debt. This was further compounded by the burning of the store and the resultant loss of several

thousand dollars of goods. This debt ultimately resulted in the farm being mortgaged and the

decline of William E. Fowler’s health. Indeed, the author goes on to say that “this financial

trouble and a chronic stomach trouble of several years standing caused his last illness.” William

E. Fowler died in 1927.25

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Though the source and authenticity of this letter cannot be proved, the dates and names

mentioned in the letter align with Fowler and Kelso family history. The aforementioned letter

cites William as having three daughters and two sons. This matches exactly the number of

children William E. Fowler had in genealogical records. Additionally, the letter indicates that

William’s oldest daughter was named Sara, which is also a direct match with census records and

genealogical research.

In the 1980s, Samuel Ghormley’s daughter, Rhea Ghormley Alexander, spearheaded a

restoration of the mill to working order. At the time of the National Register nomination written

by Rhea in 1982, the mill was under restoration by millwrights “who have worked extensively

with historic buildings.”26 The need for restoration began after Fowler’s Mill sustained damage

from the flooding of Fork Creek. After the completion of restoration efforts, Fowler’s Mill

became one of, if not the only, working mill in Monroe County. The restored mill is a significant

place because it represents a line of millers and provides the citizens of Monroe County with a

tangible, visible, and operable reminder of its past.

Fowler’s Mill and Tennessee Milling History

Fowler’s Mill is also significant because it follows broader trends in Tennessee’s milling

history and formed a crucial part of everyday life in Monroe County. Mills were important

fixtures of both the economic and cultural life of the communities they inhabited. They were

deemed so important that they were featured in Tennessee Supreme Court cases. Tennessee

adopted a 1777 North Carolina statute about mills that declared “every water-grist mill which

shall hereafter be built, that shall at any time grind for toll, shall be held and deemed, and is

hereby declared to be a public mill.”27 The court case Philips v. Stocket (1806) also reinforces

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the view of the law that mills are a public good. In the ruling, one judge made the observation

that “mills are a public benefit, and we should not therefore discourage the building [of] them.”28

Thus the highest court in Tennessee considered mills in the state to be vital, public resources.

In her dissertation The Brainerd Mill and the Tellico Mills: The Development of Water

Milling in the East Tennessee Valley, Loretta Ettien Lautzenheiser also addresses the issue of

mills and their importance in Tennessee. The author writes that “the availability of mills, and in

the East Tennessee region, of water-powered mills, indicated to some extent the productivity of

an area.” Additionally, Lautzenheiser notes that mills often disrupted traditional patterns of

settlement. Rather than attracting people to a town, mills attracted people to an area, which led to

the establishment of farming communities over towns because settlers, many of whom were

farmers, could be “assured of having their grains ground” by the presence of a mill.29 Though the

following data is from Blount County, the author also found that “licenses obtained during the

period 1793-1804 to operate mills were overwhelmingly granted for grist mills. Permission to

construct mills was granted for 12 grist mills, 10 (unspecified) mills, three grist mills and saw

mills, and one sawmill.”30 In addition to guiding settlement and attracted settlers, mills often

dictated the advancement of physical infrastructure. The author writes that “mills were

frequently used as points of reference for new roads, and even today many county roads

throughout East Tennessee are named for the mills that stood along them.”31

Sources available to us illustrate that Fowler’s Mill is representative of these broader

trends of Tennessee mills. An article by the Tri-Weekly Nashville Union published proposals for

U.S. Postal Service routes in 1842. One of the routes mentions the mill for the once-a-week route

between Philadelphia and Franklin.32 Fowler’s Mill is also mentioned in the Acts of the

Tennessee Fifty-Sixth General Assembly of 1909. During the assembly meeting, legislators

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proposed state routes that needed to be improved or constructed. Fowler’s Mill was the recipient

of a new road that went directly to it as a result of the hearing.33 In a time where road

improvements were not that common or rarely approved, this approval emphasizes the

importance of Fowler’s Mill in the area and in the community. Both these sources illustrate that

Fowler’s Mill served as a prominent place and waypoint in Monroe County.

In addition to serving as a notable waypoint, the mill and its milling family also played an

important role in the social life of the surrounding community. As mentioned earlier in this

section, the owners of Fowler’s Mill took an interest in state politics and the community, with

William J. Fowler serving as a Tennessee legislator in addition to helping found Tulogahler

College. The actual mill building itself also fostered community development. The Knoxville

Sentinel reported in 1921 that “several of our young folk attended a dance given at Fowler’s Mill

on Monday night.”34 More recently, as recollected by current owner Bill Alexander, jazz bands

from Chattanooga played at the mill while people danced and socialized. Beyond such special

events, mills such as the one at Fowler’s provided social interaction as people gathered at the

mill to have their corn or grains ground.

Fowler’s Mill and Tennessee Agricultural History

The Fowler’s Mill complex is also significant because it represents an agricultural

landscape that illustrates the history and evolution of Tennessee agricultural production and

consumption. Hugh and Charles Kelso’s founding and subsequent running of several family grist

mills, both in Blount and Monroe counties, are representative of some early settlers’ desire to not

only meet their own needs, but to make money through commercial ventures. Tennessee’s early

rural families strove to be self-sufficient and produce as much everyday-consumption items as

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they could by themselves. Thus, crops like corn, which required very little work in new fields,

and animals like swine, which provided for themselves in the forest, became popular choices for

early settlers. As they became self-sufficient, settlers started looking towards commercial

agricultural opportunities to supplement the family income.35

This model of self-sufficiency began to change in the antebellum years as farmers began

to increasingly rely on commercial goods even while they adopted their production schemes to

fit a particular soil or climate. The development of the Fowler Farm during the antebellum period

also fits into this trend. The 1860 Slave Schedule lists the Kelso and Fowler families as enslaving

eleven African Americans. Agricultural production on the Fowler Farm consisted largely of

subsistence-type farming supplemented by cash crops like tobacco. Enslaved labor would have

been crucial in the day-to-day operation of the farm.

When the Civil War ended, Tennessee’s agricultural economy was devastated. Freedmen

and women, alongside their former owners and other agricultural producers, found themselves in

a new, unfamiliar world. Plantations were subdivided into smaller units, land ownership rose

sharply, and sharecropping and tenant farming grew rapidly. The loss of enslaved labor and the

subsequent reorganization of agriculture brought about by the ending of the Civil War affected

many once-large landowners. When asked to describe the number of acres sold by Mary J.

Kelso, the author of the Fowler Farm Century Farm application simply wrote “a great many.”

By the time that the next owner, Joe Wyley Fowler, took over, the farm numbered some 250

acres, down from the previous 4,000-5,000 listed earlier in the Century Farm application.

Additionally, the focus of the farm’s production had shifted to cattle by the time Joe Wyley

Fowler took over, which continued to be one of the primary production points of the farm. The

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breaking up of the farm and shift from large crops to cattle production illustrates quite vividly

how the ending of the Civil War and reorganization of agriculture affected the Fowler Farm.

Fowler’s Mill as an Architectural Gem

Finally, the Fowler’s Mill complex is significant as an example of a post-Civil War saw

and grist mill and as an intact landscape of agricultural work and commerce. The National

Register nomination for the property completed in 1982 suggested that Fowler’s Mill was the

only active mill in Monroe County and one of the county’s four known surviving mills.36

Though no comprehensive study has been conducted on grist and saw mills in Tennessee, at the

writing of this report, Fowler’s Mill still remains the only working mill in Monroe County. In

addition to being significant because it is a surviving mill, the Fowler’s Mill complex is also

important because it is an intact landscape of agriculture and work. The William J. Fowler

House, the general store, the mill building, the old William E. Fowler house, and the surrounding

natural landscape all convey the context of the place as it would have been during the period of

W. J. Fowler’s residency.

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Map Key 1. Fowler’s Mill complex 2. General Store 3. William J. Fowler House

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2

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Figure 1: Map Courtesy of Google Maps; Graphics Inserted by Author

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Architectural Description

The Fowler’s Mill building is a one-story wooden building covered in a wooden

clapboard exterior, capped with a moderately pitched, gabled tin roof. The building is situated on

the bank of Fork Creek at the intersection of Loudon Road and Eve Mill Road in Monroe

County. Attached to the mill is a large, one-story, wooden, open-aired porch. The property is

located on a scenic working farm that features several contributing buildings that tell the story of

Fowler’s Mill and the Fowler Farm. These buildings include (1) the Fowler’s Mill Complex, (2)

a general store, and (3) the William J. Fowler House.

North Elevation

Though the east elevation directly faces Loudon Road, it is the north elevation that greets

visitors upon arriving at Fowler’s Mill. A drainpipe is located on either end if this elevation. A

continuous brick foundation is visible. All window and door frames are painted white, which

provides a stark contrast with the red clapboard siding. Three distinct bays comprise the northern

elevation. The western bay features a modern 1/1 window and a doorway. The middle bay

features another modern 1/1 window, a drainpipe, and an electrical meter. The eastern bay

features another doorway and a modern 6/6 window. A yard surrounds the northern and eastern

elevations, and a gravel road connecting Loudon Road with Eve Mill Road borders the property

on the north. Viewing the building from this elevation also reveals the first preservation concern,

that of vegetation overgrowth. The western elevation has been encroached upon by thick

vegetation, as can be seen in Figure 2. During the site visit on August 13, 2019, getting a picture

of the western elevation proved impossible due to the vegetation overgrowth.

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Figure 2: North Elevation

Figure 3: East Elevation

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East Elevation

Walking back towards Loudon Road, one can see the eastern elevation that faces the

small, two-lane highway. The eastern elevation is divided into two distinct bays. The western

bay is a shed addition that runs the entirety of the southern elevation and is roofed with tin. A

door is also located on the western bay. The eastern bay is the building proper and features a

large, barn-style door. An electric lamp is located directly beneath the pinnacle of the gable roof.

Both eastern façade images reveal again the problem of vegetation overgrowth. Climbing/creeper

vines are growing up the eastern façade, and tall grass is visible near the shed addition door.

South Elevation

It is only by crossing over the Fork Creek bridge and standing in the historic William J.

Fowler’s House yard that the southern facade and porch are visible. The southern façade is

supported by a series of wooden columns. Fork Creek flows past the southern facade, with tall

vegetation and a slight incline separating the creek from the building. A shed addition runs the

length of the facade. Beginning at the easternmost part of the shed addition and moving towards

the western end, the southern façade features a 1/1 modern window, followed by three 2/2 and

one 6/6 modern windows. Attached to the southern elevation is a wooden staircase which

connects the porch to ground level.

Also visible on the southern elevation is the wooden porch. The porch is a single-gabled

wooden building capped with a tin roof. Six mortise-and-tenon, hand-hewn timbers support the

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Figure 5: South Elevation with Dam

Figure 4: South Elevation with Bridge

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Figure 6: Dam Debris

Figure 7: Dam Erosion

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roof. The porch floor is covered in wood and features a wooden rail running around its perimeter.

The porch is supported by large concrete pillars, which descend into Fork Creek. The concrete

headrace from the dam passes under the sawmill to the tub turbine. Located on the westernmost

side of the façade is a concrete dam which spans from the edge of the porch to the other side of

Fork Creek. A good picture of the porch could not be obtained due to tree and plant foliage.

This elevation provides the most visibly striking view of the Fowler’s Mill building in

addition to highlighting continuing, and new, preservation concerns. Vegetation overgrowth can

be seen in all southern elevation photographs, particularly in Figure 4. In this image, tall grasses

encroach upon the wooden staircase, and a sizeable tree that has grown up next to the wooden

porch can be seen. In addition to vegetation concerns, missing pieces of tin can also be seen on

the porch in that same picture. The piece of tin that covers the stairway going down to the ground

level also shows signs of rust and discoloring.

The concrete dam also raises significant preservation concerns. Dams are important for

the operation of a mill. A dam serves two major purposes, that of raising water and creating an

“energy bank” in the form of a reservoir or impoundment. Constructing a dam ensures that an

even, reliable flow of water is available to the mill. This concrete dam was constructed in the

1940s and faces two major preservation issues. As seen in both Figure 6 and Figure 7, the

flooding of Fork Creek carries debris that catches and accumulates on the concrete dam and the

creek banks. As evident in the selected photographs, this debris can be of significant size.

Significant erosion is also visible on the William J. Fowler House side of Fork Creek, as

evidenced in Figure 7. While access to the headrace and bank next to the Fowler’s Mill building

was restricted, it can be extrapolated that issues of floodwater debris accumulation and erosion

are also likely present there as well.

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Interior

The entrance to the interior of the Fowler’s Mill building is located on the northern

façade. The Fowler’s Mill building consists of one, large room that spans the width and length of

the building. Smaller additions are located on the western façade. The large room is populated

with a variety of mill machinery, farm tools and implements, and other items. The floors are

made of wood, and the gabled tin roof is visible above the wooden rafters. Natural light

permeates through the many windows, providing the interior of the building with an airy feel.

Despite being in generally good shape, the interior reveals some preservation concerns.

Moisture damage and stains are evident in spots both on the floor and on the walls of the main

room. Figure 8 shows that the deterioration of the boards is already underway. Additionally, both

pictures highlight gaps and missing boards that expose the interior of the building to the outside

air and conditions.

The various mill machinery present in the building also poses a unique preservation issue.

Fowler’s Mill is one of the few functional mills in Monroe County, and the protection and

continued maintenance of the machinery is of the utmost importance. Some of the machinery is

starting to show rust, while other pieces appear to need little more than basic cleaning and

maintenance. Regardless of their condition, these machines are just as important to the building

as its architectural features.

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Figure 8: Interior, Floor Moisture Damage

Figure 9: Interior, Facing West

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Walking through this main room brings the visitor to the open-air porch first visible on

the southern elevation of the mill. As with the interior room of the mill, the tin roof is visible

through the wooden rafters. A wooden floor covers the porch, and wooden railings surround the

edges of the porch. There are a few preservation concerns for the porch. Figures 10 and 11

capture well the encroachment of vegetation on the building. Figure 12 also reveals the extent to

which vegetation has encroached upon and taken over the steps leading down to the ground

elevation.

Moisture damage is also visible in certain spots on the porch floor. In Figure 10, moss is

growing on the board, and moisture damage is apparent around the metal walkway, which is also

rusting. In some areas, moisture damage has resulted in the buckling of some floorboards on the

porch. Also of concern is the mill machinery located under the porch. Historic photos from the

Fowler’s Mill restoration under Rhea Ghormley Alexander show in better detail the working

parts of the mill located under the porch. Much like the machinery inside the main room, these

parts are vital to the integrity of the Fowler’s Mill building, and the accumulation of moisture

and natural materials, combined with the lack of use, constitute a significant preservation

concern.

The last room in the building is a small shed addition located on the western elevation.

As evidenced in Figure 13, the entire floor of this room has collapsed, leaving the cinderblock

foundation

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Figure 11: Porch, Facing East

Figure 10: Porch, Moisture and Rust Damage

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Figure 12: Porch Stairs

Figure 13: West Elevation Addition

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visible and the floor covered in wooden debris. Total reconstruction of this room’s floor is

necessary before it can be properly assessed.

Supporting Buildings

As mentioned in the architectural description’s introduction, the Fowler’s Mill building is

only one component of a larger cultural and physical landscape. Located directly up the hill from

historic Fowler’s Mill is the general store once run by the Fowler family. It is a wooden one-and-

a-half-story building clad in red and white clapboard siding and capped with an open-gable tin

roof. A shed addition runs the length of the southern elevation and is likewise capped with a tin

roof. The shed addition rests upon a raised foundation supported by wooden columns. The front

façade faces east. Directly beneath the gable summit is a white attic vent. A wooden porch

projects outward from the eastern elevation. This porch is supported by five, white, plain wooden

columns, features a wooden floor, and is also roofed in tin. At the time of the survey, the

clapboard siding between the porch’s roof and the foundation on the eastern elevation was

Figure 8: General Store

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painted white, whereas the clapboard siding above the porch’s roof on the eastern elevation and

across the rest of the building was painted the same red color as the historic mill. A large

doorframe is located on the shed addition. The main building features a center double doorway

flanked on each side by large windows. Like the mill itself, the general store is in good shape

structurally. The interior is currently being used as storage and features a variety of material

culture items that could be of value to the owner and aid in interpretation of the site.

The William J. Fowler House is located directly across the creek from Fowler’s Mill.

Built circa 1875, the building is listed, along with the mill, on the National Register of Historic

Places. This one-and-a-half-story, clapboard building is T-shaped in plan with a gable roof, three

interior chimneys, and simple front and side porches. It appears very much as it did in the 1983

National Register nomination and forms a crucial part of the cultural landscape.

Figure 9: William J. Fowler House, 2019

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Preservation Issues

The Fowler Mill complex is in great condition and reflects the hard work of Rhea

Alexander’s restoration efforts and her son’s stewardship as the current owner. There are no

major structural issues with the mill, and many best preservation practices, such as maintaining a

layer of paint on exposed wood, are already being followed. That said, there are a few

preservation concerns that were identified on the site visit. While not major, these concerns can,

over time, if not addressed, lead to larger issues.

Vegetation Overgrowth: The presence of overgrown vegetation near historic sites constitutes a

preservation issue which, if left ignored, can cause serious problems. Vegetation can grow into

cracks and gaps of any size, and as the plant grows and the root system expands, this can cause

damage to many parts of a historic structure such as the foundation, walls, trim, or windows.

Additionally, these root systems allow for the accumulation of dirt and soil that can also partially

bury foundations or features of the building in addition to causing possible erosion control

issues. Finally, the presence of vegetation next to a building can lead to staining of the exterior

and contribute to moisture issues through water retention. It also should be noted that because

Fowler’s Mill is part of a watershed, maintaining a certain level of vegetation on the bank of the

creek is crucial to curbing erosion and runoff. The vegetation in question that should be cleared

includes any vegetation growing up against the building.

Recommendations: The property owner should ensure that surrounding vegetation is cleared

from the immediate vicinity of the edges of the structure. Additionally, any trees or hard wood

bushes should be taken care of as early as possible, as they are significantly harder to deal with

down the road. Special care should be taken to use environmentally friendly methods to control

vegetation, refraining from harsh chemicals. These harsh chemicals, especially in relation to

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Fowler’s Mill, can cause serious consequences for the environment should they enter the

waterway of Fork Creek. Additionally, these same harsh chemicals can damage historic elements

of a structure, further contributing to its deterioration. It is recommended that equipment such as

bush-hogs, chainsaws, weed-eaters, and mowers be used to clear the vegetation, with non-

powered equipment being used when working directly next to the historic structure. If this is not

feasible, special care should be taken when using power equipment so as not to damage any

historical features.

Missing Tin Roof Pieces: A roof is the first line of defense against the elements and crucial to

ensuring that a structure retains its integrity.

Recommendation: When convenient and safe, the owner should replace the missing pieces of tin

on the porch and staircase. This is also the perfect time for the owner to inspect the current

pieces of tin still on the roof. Like any other kind of sheet metal, tin roofing can be susceptible to

damage caused by airborne pollutants, acid rainwater, or other “chemical actions.” Ensuring that

the roof remains in good shape is essential to the preservation of a historic structure.

Concrete Dam: A prominent feature of the mill’s cultural landscape is the concrete dam which

helps to power the mill. An earlier wooden version occupied the same spot, though by the 1940s

it had been replaced with the current concrete one. An inspection of the dam for soundness is

needed, and rampant erosion is visible on the banks near the William J. Fowler House.

Recommendations: A consultation with structural and landscape engineers is the only way to

reliably address issues of dam maintenance and subsequent erosion problems. The Safe Dams

Act of 1973 requires that the Division Water Resources in the Tennessee Department of

Environment and Conservation (TDEC) be responsible for maintaining an accurate inventory of

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the dams within our state, reviewing plans for new dam construction, periodically inspecting all

regulated dams within Tennessee, issuing permits to dam owners for operation, alteration, and

construction of dams, and requiring compliance with these regulations. A dam is defined under

this act as anything at least 20 feet in height or a dam that can impound at least 30 acre-feet of

water.

While the Fowler’s Mill dam may or may not meet those requirements, the following contacts

can likely provide support and information about possible next steps:

State Agencies Federal Agencies Division of Water Resources Willian R. Snodgrass Tennessee Towers 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 11th Floor Nashville, TN 37243 (615) 532-0625

Nashville District Corps of Engineers Regulatory Branch P.O. Box 1070 Nashville, TN 37202-1070 (615) 736-5181

TDEC Field Offices 1-888-891-TDEC (8332)

Tennessee Valley Authority Natural Resources Building Norris, TN 37828 (423) 632-1552

Immediate actions that can be taken include the removal of any logs or limbs from the dam

structure. This should only be undertaken when the water is not up and only at an acceptable

level of risk. Taking the debris off the dam will ease some of the pressure on the structure itself,

prevent more debris from accumulating, and assist with the even flow of water. Additionally, the

banks should also have all debris removed from them to mitigate the effects of erosion.

Ultimately, these are not permanent solutions, and consultation with trained professionals will

ultimately decide what course of action should be taken.

Board Replacement: The wooden flooring of the mill and the porch are crucial to the site’s

integrity. The porch is missing a few planks in addition to a few being loose. Replacing and

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stabilizing this flooring is crucial not only for the integrity of the site, but the safety of any

visitors to the mill.

Recommendation: Whenever possible, repair is preferred over replacement. However, if repair is

not possible due to unavailability of materials, replacement should occur. When selecting

replacement wood, it is advisable to choose species that are resistant to decay, such as redwood,

cypress, cedar, or fire. In the South, cypress wood is the selection of choice due to the relative

ease with which a carpenter can shape it and its availability. The wood used should either be

pressure-treated or treated with a paintable wood preservative. When financially possible,

vertical grain wood should be used over flat grain because it contracts less due to changes in

moisture, which can reduce warping. Equally important is the periodic cleaning and/or sweeping

of the floors of both the porch and the mill. Doing so will prevent vegetation, such as moss or

piles of leaves, from contributing moisture to the wooden elements of the porch. Sweeping also

encourages a level of familiarity between the owner and the structure itself, allowing the owner

to identify preservation issues in a timely manner.

Machinery: One of the Fowler’s Mill defining characteristic is its status as a fully operational

19th-century mill. While some of the machinery and other working parts have been replaced or

repaired, they still contribute significantly to the integrity of the site and make it a unique place

in Monroe County and Tennessee. That said, the machinery does underscore a unique

preservation issue, that of ensuring that the machines stay functioning and retain as much of their

original character as possible.

Recommendations: Contrary to popular belief, the best way to preserve something is to put it

back to its original use. We are not interested in freezing the machinery or the mill in time, never

to be used again. Instead, we are interested in keeping both in use while also preserving and

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protecting them as much as possible. If left dormant and unused, over time the machinery will

accumulate rust and moisture. This will exponentially increase the rate at which the machinery

deteriorates, in addition to knocking the mill out of active service status. Thus, the mill should be

operated periodically to keep the machines in use, in addition to identifying any parts that need

attention or servicing. This advice also applies to the machinery that makes the ground corn and

flour. Though it is important that the machinery that operates the grinding mechanism stays in

operation, all of the ancillary equipment that would make corn and flour should also be kept in

use.

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Heritage Development Planning

Like numerous Tennessee Century Farms across the state, Fowler’s Mill can take

advantage of its rich agricultural history and natural beauty to raise it’s visibility in both its local

community and surrounding region. Residents and visitors alike enjoy compelling stories about

rural life in Tennessee. Fowler’s Mill neatly encapsulates one such story--that of farmers who,

following the national disaster that was the Civil War, rebuilt their farms and businesses to

survive in a new age. If you want to know how Tennesseans recovered from the Civil War,

Fowler’s Mill is an excellent representative example. Located in a scenic river valley, Fowler’s

Mill also possesses immense natural beauty. This combination of rich history and natural beauty

makes Fowler’s Mill a destination that residents and visitors alike are not going to want to miss.

This section will outline steps the owner can take to make Fowler’s Mill a better-known special

place in Monroe County (and neighboring Loudon County), and throughout Tennessee.

Heritage Tourism Strategies

First, the owner should consider developing a heritage tourism strategy by exploring the

following recommendations. After addressing any safety issues noted in the Preservation Needs

section, the owner should host an Open-House History Weekend for Fowler’s Mill. This is a

great way to introduce the surrounding community to your resource and also allow you an

opportunity to interact with community members. During this event, the owner would be on hand

to give tours of the mill and the farming complex, talk about the history of the property, and

answer any questions visitors might have. To promote this event and further develop your

heritage tourism strategy, talk with local historical societies, the Tennessee Overhill Heritage

Association (TOHA), and Dave Jones of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development to

develop ideas, announcements, and marketing for Fowler’s Mill. The owner should also consider

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talking to local and regional tourism officials to develop a rack card about the mill that could be

displayed at other museums and visitor centers in the region. Once people know where you are

and what you have to offer, you can better gauge if you want to pursue a larger and more

involved heritage tourism effort.

To help you create your heritage tourism strategy, form partnerships by consulting with

established organizations and gaining a sense of what is out there and how they can help you to

increase viability for the mill. Locally, one of your strongest partners is going to be the

Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association. TOHA began in 1990 when counties in Tennessee,

including McMinn, Monroe, and Polk, were selected as pilot areas for the National Trust for

Historic Preservation’s “Heritage Tourism Initiative.” TOHA was envisioned as a way to build a

tourist program that “honored local history, traditions, culture, and natural resources.” For the

first three years of its existence, TOHA was led by the NTHP and the Tennessee Department of

Tourism. Now, it is a 501-3c non-profit organization.37 Its goals are to increase visitation to the

region, provide educational tools for a variety of audiences, act as a catalyst for economic

development in the area, and strengthen local capacity for historical development and cultural

resource management. TOHA’s mission is reflected in the type of work that it does. TOHA has

partnered with a number of cultural institutions in the area such as historic sites, arts and crafts,

natural areas, and even farms and markets. These partnerships take a variety of forms, but

perhaps the underlying unifying factor is that TOHA provides an umbrella under which these

cultural resources are advertised and provides guidance on possible activities at historic sites.38

For Fowler’s Mill, TOHA should be able to provide some of the most accurate data and

outlook on the cultural resource landscape of the area and the ways in which organizations can

interface and interact with the local community and tourist population. This information can

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inform not only the agritourism suggestions below, but also any conservation easement

possibilities. TOHA can also provide a platform by which Fowler’s Mill can advertise its

presence to the surrounding community, and the organization can put Fowler’s Mill in touch

with other, similar cultural institutions. This is critical because fundraising and grant writing is

dependent upon the strength of your partnership network. Networking and involving other

organizations in your planning process demonstrates to your potential audiences and funding

sources that you are engaged with your community and thinking about ways to strengthen local

capacity. Here is TOHA’s contact information:

Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association

PO Box 143

727 Tennessee Avenue

Etowah, TN 37331

423-263-7232

Next, we will look at the East Tennessee Development District and the East Tennessee

Division Manager for the state Department of Tourist Development. It is important for Fowler’s

Mill to consider any state or federal government organization that could prove a valuable partner

in your quest to preserve and protect the mill site. This report singles out two, the East Tennessee

Development District and the East Tennessee Division Manager for the Department of Tourist

Development. The ETDD is an association of municipal and county governments located in the

mid-east region of Tennessee. This organization provides sixteen counties and fifty-six

municipalities with planning and development services, in addition to serving as a forum for

discussing and solving problems associated with economic development and growth. Partnering

with ETDD provides Fowler’s Mill with some great opportunities. The ETDD will be keyed in

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on the unique issues facing economic development in your area and will likely understand how

Fowler’s Mill can fit into the economic and cultural environment of the Monroe County area.

Additionally, navigating rules and regulations can often be a difficult process fraught with

pitfalls and hard-to-understand lingo. The ETDD will be able to provide an understanding of

how to navigate those, in addition to providing guidance on how Fowler’s Mill can achieve its

mission of preserving the mill and ensuring that it continues to stay operable. The contact

information for ETDD is as follows:

- Terry Bobrowski, Executive Director o Address: PO Box 249, Alcoa, TN 37701-0249 o 865-273-6003 o tbobrowski@etdd.org

Tennessee is also a sales tax state and as a result relies heavily on tourism, including “heritage

tourism” that promotes the state’s historic places and resources to visitors. Forming a partnership

with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development can create opportunities for

sustainability. Fowler’s Mill is located in the East Tennessee Division of the Department of

Tourist Development, placing it in an area rich in historic resources and dedicated to promoting

heritage tourism. Early conversations with your East Tennessee Division Manager can help

guide and inform any preservation/conservation efforts at Fowler’s Mill. As the path towards

preserving Fowler’s Mill becomes clearer, connecting with your Division Manager again will be

crucial to boost the profile of, and attract tourism to, your site. It will also be important to

emphasize the status of Monroe County as one of Tennessee’s “At-Risk” counties singled out by

Governor Bill Lee as priorities for state government support.

- Dave Jones, East Tennessee Division Manager o Dave.Jones@tn.gov o 865-335-9142

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Though large organizations can open the door to meaningful partnerships and

opportunities, local organizations are just as important. The owner should also contact the

McMinn County Historical Society and the Monroe County Archives. The McMinn County

Historical Society administers the McMinn County TN GenWeb project and is located in nearby

Athens, Tennessee. This Historical Society will be able to provide information about the area’s

history, point towards future avenues of research, and serve as a valuable partner in raising the

profile of Fowler’s Mill in the surrounding community and region. The Monroe County Archives

will serve a similar role for Fowler’s Mill. Though many consider archives to be simply

repositories of information, they are also valuable partners for any historical enterprise. As they

usually house public records and other genealogical information, partnering with the archives

provides an opportunity for Fowler’s Mill to have a friend that has all the sources that you might

need and that can display rack cards or promote events to the many genealogists that come visit

the archives. Contact information for these two organizations is as follows:

McMinn County Historical Society

McMinn County Courthouse, Room #7

6 West Madison Avenue

Athens, TN 37303

423-744-3911

Monroe County Archives

105 College Street, Suite 10

Madisonville, TN 37354

423-420-0910

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Finally, another organization you should contact when considering a heritage tourism

strategy is the Guide to Tellico Plains Web site, run by the town of Tellico Plains. Described as

an “online directory for residents, newcomers, and visitors,” Guide to Tellico Plains has more

than seventy-five pages of history, attractions, and other things for viewers to access.39 Guide to

Tellico Plains also has a substantial social media presence. Perhaps most notably, Guide to

Tellico Plains features extensive information about the Cherokee National Forest and the

Cherohala Skyway. Both of these natural and cultural resources draw substantial numbers of

tourists from around the nation. Their Web site features the history of the area and provides

detailed information on recreation, businesses, and the Plains’ own history. Because Fowler’s

Mill is so close to Tellico Plains, it will be beneficial to contact them during the heritage tourism

development stage. With their focus on advertising and pitching local and regional history, they

are sure to be an immensely powerful ally in developing heritage tourism strategies. Their

contact information is as follows:

Town of Tellico Plains

405 Veterans Memorial Drive

Tellico Plains, Tennessee 37385

423-253-2333

Historic Preservation Grants

After launching its heritage tourism strategy, Fowler’s Mill should pursue state and

federal historic preservation grants for the mill’s preservation. The grant most relevant to

Fowler’s Mill will be the Tennessee Historical Commission’s annual Historic Preservation Fund

grant. This grant comes from the Historic Preservation Fund funded largely through the federal

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government, and the application is usually due at the beginning of the calendar year. The grants

are matching grants and will reimburse up to 60% of the costs of approved work. The remaining

40% must be provided by the grantee as matching funds, and any restoration of the building must

follow the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (see

https://www.nps.gov/tps/standards.htm). During the selection process, the THC emphasizes

many things that encompass a wide variety of historic sites, though most relevant to Fowler’s

Mill is the THC’s desire to restore historic buildings that are listed on the National Register and

have a public use. Application priorities are based on Tennessee’s State Historic Preservation

Plan, which prioritizes areas “experiencing rapid growth and development, other threats to

cultural resources, areas where there are gaps in knowledge regarding cultural resources, and

communities that participate in the Certified Local Government program.”40 This grant most

closely aligns with Fowler’s Mill’s needs. When applying, Fowler’s Mill can leverage its

National Register status and use the information provided in this report to argue that the building

and site are significant. The contact information for the grant is as follows.

Claudette Stager

615-770-1089

Claudette.Stager@tn.gov

Land Trust and Conservation Organizations

Third, you should consider long-term historic preservation planning. One way to protect

and preserve the mill and surrounding farmland is to contact a land conservation organization.

The nearest such organization to Fowler’s Mill is the Foothills Land Conservancy. Founded in

1985 and based in Blount County, Tennessee, The FLC’s mission statement is as follows:

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Foothills Land Conservancy is dedicated to protecting, preserving, and enhancing the lands and environment of the Southern Appalachian region and promoting the character of the land for the benefit of the general public, now and in the future.41

Receiving no financial assistance from local, state, or federal governments, the FLC has aided in

the preservation of more than 130,000 acres in 38 counties and 6 states.42 In 2018 alone, the

organization completed 48 land preservation projects in 21 Tennessee counties and 5 other states,

including Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia. These land projects

totaled close to 17,800 acres. The FLC is led by a volunteer board of directors and has completed

projects in Monroe County before. The FLC has engaged in projects involving thousands of

acres to something as simple as a 5-acre donation for a city park.

The way the FLC works is through what is known as a conservation easement, which is

its most popular form of land preservation. In a conservation easement, the FLC works with the

property owner and other interested parties to preserve the property in its natural state “in

perpetuity,” or forever. This contract reflects both the owner’s wishes and covers allowable land

use on the property and any prohibited land use. Contrary to popular belief, working with the

FLC or any other land trust agency does not mean that the owner loses ownership of their land.

Landowners can still own, manage, or sell the land to their heirs. That land will, however, come

with developmental restrictions and whatever additional ones are determined in the conservation

easement contract.43

The other options offered by the FLC include Fee Simple Ownership (Land Donation),

Undivided Partial Interests, Devise Land, and Remainder Interest/Reserved Life Estate contracts.

The following list provides a brief overview of each option:

- Fee Simple Ownership (Land Donation)—The landowner grants all property rights, title

and interest to the land trust. The land trust owns and manages the land.

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- Undivided Partial Interests--the landowner grants a shared, percentage ownership in the

property to the land trust over several years until the land trust has full ownership. The

land trust will eventually own the land, but until that time, the trust and the landowner

will retain joint ownership.

- Devise Land—The land is given to the land trust at death of the landowner through the

landowner’s will.

- Remainder Interest/Reserved Life Estate—The landowner conveys the land to the land

trust, but continues to live on or use the property until his or her death.

The sheer flexibility and options provided by the FLC illustrate yet another avenue the owner

can use when preserving and protecting Fowler’s Mill. Additionally, the FLC will also ensure

that the surrounding farmland is protected and preserved. If this approach sounds like something

you might be interested in, you can contact them at 865-681-8326.

Of course, the FLC is not the only land conservation organization in Tennessee. The

Land Trust for Tennessee operates in a similar capacity as the FLC. It has worked with more

than 300 landowners across the state to protect farms, natural and cultural landscapes, and

wildlife preserves. Each project is tailored to meet the individual needs of the property owner.

Under a conservation easement, owners may retain the right to continue owning and living on the

land, sell the property or transfer it to heirs, farm and manage the land, maintain or build a

limited number of homes and structures on the land, and restrict or grant public access.

Additionally, the owner may also receive financial benefits such as charitable deductions,

reduced property taxes, and estate taxes.44 For more information, visit The Land Trust’s Web

site: https://www.landtrusttn.org/.

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Agritourism

Finally, agritourism is another viable option for Fowler’s Mill, especially given its long

association with the Fowler Farm, a Tennessee Century Farm. There is little doubt that

agritourism is a rising star in Tennessee’s economic sector. To help you determine if agritourism

is a valid approach for Fowler’s Mill and identify potential problems, we have consulted Megan

Bruch et al.’s Agritourism in Focus: A Guide for Tennessee Farmers (2005) published by the UT

Extension Service (to view a copy, go to trace.tennessee.edu and enter the title in the search

box). Agritourism in this book is defined as “an activity, enterprise or business that combines

primary elements and characteristics of Tennessee agriculture and tourism and provides an

experience for visitors that stimulates economic activity and impacts both farm and community

income.”45

The first step to determining what kind of agritourism you want to engage in is to develop

a goal and mission statement. In this way, agritourism is much like starting any kind of small

business. Conversations with the property owner indicate that the major priority is the continued

protection and preservation of Fowler’s Mill. This is a great end goal, and this in turn can inform

your mission statement. We’ve seen that there are multiple options for the preservation of

Fowler’s Mill. These involve land trusts, heritage tourism, and historic preservation grants.

However, there is one thing that all three shared in common, and that is that Fowler’s Mill needs

to position itself as a community resource that both residents and visitors view as a special place.

Without buy-in and continual work, preservation cannot work. Thus, a sample mission statement

for Fowler’s Mill could look like the following: “The mission of Fowler’s Mill is to preserve and

protect the mill and surrounding farm complex by serving the local community.”

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With a mission statement established, and before we head any further into exploring

agribusiness and agritourism, it is important to identify two operational considerations, that of

time and money. As the owner well knows, running a farm is a full-time job. Thus the owner

must decide if he can split his time between farming and running an agribusiness. One way to

evaluate your time constraints and various commitments is to create a schedule of your work

week. This schedule would include the activities you engage in regularly on the farm and a rough

estimate of how much time that takes, keeping in mind the many everyday incidents that can turn

a simple job into a complex one.

Money is the next critical factor to consider before starting agritourism. It is true that

agritourism can be quite profitable. However, it does bring with it financial risk. You will need

to ask yourself the following questions: How much would it cost to do one element in my

agritourism plan? (For example, if your plan includes hosting a mill day once a month, how

much will that cost you, including your time, maintenance, materials, and building upkeep?)

How much would it cost to market and or advertise my agritourism industry? Do I have enough

money saved to continue my current operations if I lose all the money I put into starting my

agritourism venture? How much money could I expect to make from my agritourism venture? As

with the previous steps, the answers to these questions will ultimately guide and shape your

agritourism venture.

If your assessment of the time and money involved convinces you to go the

agribusiness/tourism route, we recommend that Fowler’s Mill host grinding days, with the

possibility of transitioning to agricultural fairs like that at Prater Mill in Georgia. It is proven that

the best way to preserve something is to keep it in the use that it originally served the

community. What makes Fowler’s Mill important historically is that it belonged to a long line of

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millers that began with a Revolutionary War veteran and has continued all the way into the 21st

century. This legacy of milling is reflected in the dedication and care shown to the mill by all the

generations of owners. Throughout the year, and especially during peak season, Fowler’s Mill

can host scheduled grinding days, beginning with two a year. These grinding days will be

announced via the network established in the Heritage Tourism Strategies section, local

newspaper and media, and social media. Farmers and other agricultural producers from around

the county/region can travel to Fowler’s Mill to get their grains and corn ground on site. This

will require that the owner learn how to use the mill/related machinery and determine an amount

per measurement to charge those who would get their grains and corn ground. It may also be

useful to talk to local restaurants and businesses to see if they desire freshly milled foodstuffs (be

sure to look into the Pick TN products initiative of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture).

Hosting grinding days meets many of our requirements. First, it imposes a minimal time

commitment on the owner. This time commitment is also one that is scheduled far enough ahead

of time that plans and schedules can be altered to accommodate it. Second, it also keeps the mill

and machinery in use, which helps protect the machinery. This also shows potential grantors and

investors that this historic building is serving the public, which may increase the likelihood of

them providing grant money to Fowler’s Mill. This also raises your profile locally and

encourages community investment. Third, grinding can provide supplemental income to the farm

that can be used to protect and preserve the mill for as long as the grinding days continue. These

days are also great for people to come and simply observe how a mill works. This, much like the

open house, is a great time for the owner to talk to potential customers, talk about the history of

the place, and forge new connections that will ultimately keep this valuable resource operating.

46

At the same time, the limited number of these grinding days per year will have a low impact on

the historic buildings on the property.

Fowler’s Mill could eventually follow the example of Prater’s Mill in Varnell, Georgia,

and institute a fair that could be hosted on site at Fowler’s Mill. Prater’s Mill is a National

Register-listed building located in Varnell, Georgia. In 1971, Prater’s Mill began raising funds

for the restoration of its mill. Turning to the surrounding community, they began the annual

Prater’s Mill County Fair that same year. Though it started with humble beginnings, the fair now

boasts more than 200 talented artists and craftsmen who create their items by hand from natural

materials. These local craftsmen then sell their wares and demonstrate their crafting methods to

fair visitors. There is also live music played during the fair. Visitors are taken on tours of the mill

and are shown how the mill works. Adult admission is $7.00 per head.46 Additionally, Prater’s

Mill has designated grinding days on which farmers and other individuals can bring their

products to be ground at the mill. The limited availability of these dates ensures that overhead

costs are low, that the mill is still being used, that there is some form of income, and that the mill

continues to serve the community.

On balance, as the previous paragraphs suggest, Fowler’s Mill has the potential to engage

in agritourism. If you decide to pursue this opportunity, the next step is to contact your local U.T.

Extension agent, provided below for your convenience:

Monroe County U.T. Extension Office

310 Tellico Street

Suite 3

Madisonville, TN 37354

Phone: 423-442-9972

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Conclusion

Fowler’s Mill is an important historic and natural resource that should be treasured and

valued. That said, preserving this structure and surrounding land, like any form of rural

preservation, is going to be challenging and rely on a combination of elements. The individual

heritage development suggestions do not provide a holistic or surefire way to preserve the

property. Thus, a blend is needed. First, Fowler’s Mill will need to begin with establishing

partnerships and connections with various cultural institutions in the area. Getting to know them

is crucial, and expanding your network is going to be important for any future endeavors you

engage in. Next, it is recommended that the owner begin talking with the Foothills Land

Conservancy or a similar land trust. Talking with these organizations is one way to ensure that

your land is protected in perpetuity. Next, the owner should consider agritourism as a viable

option and begin gauging interest in grinding days for the mill and what the owner might charge

to grind the corn and flour. Once an interest is established and a price fixed, the owner should

then host those grinding days and do an advertisement blitz, using the same networks built in the

first step, to generate attention and interest. This interest and attention, combined with

photographs from the grinding days, should be put away in a file for an application for the

THC’s preservation grant. Because the grant emphasizes National Register buildings that serve

the community, having this information on hand will increase the competitiveness of the grant

application. If the grinding days are a success, and as Fowler’s Mill continues to grow its name

and brand locally and regionally, the owner can explore other avenues. If the owner wants to

expand agritourism activities on site, the owner can incorporate a fair like the one hosted at

Prater’s Mill in Varnell, Georgia. As Fowler’s Mill grows its profile and capacity, new

48

challenges and opportunities will present themselves. However, by keeping the vision in mind

and forming a partnership network, the owner and the mill will be prepared for the future and

continue a long tradition of serving its surrounding community.

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1 Ancestry.com, “U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current,” Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2 Ancestry.com, “U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current,” Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 3 North Carolina and Tennessee, Early Land Records, 1753-1931, roll 57, book 2, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 4 Tennessee, Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895, page 149, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 5 1850 United States Federal Census, District 4, Monroe, Tennessee, roll M432_891, page 30a, image 64, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 6 Rhea Ghormley Alexander and Lloyd Ostby, “William J., Fowler, Mill and House,” National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, 1982, Section 8: Significance, page 4, https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/84ad290e-1a76-43f8-b2c9-95819c1cdeb2. 7 Loretta Ettien Lautzenheiser, “The Brainerd Mill and the Tellico Mills: The Development of Water Milling in the East Tennessee Valley” (PhD dissertation, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 1986), page 48. It should also be noted that a photograph linked to this first mill uploaded to Ancestry.com suggest that it was built in 1796 and was located on the Tennessee River. 8 Lautzenheiser, “The Brainerd Mill and the Tellico Mills,” page 49. 9 Ibid. 10 Knoxville Register (Knoxville, TN), January 11th, 1820, page 4, Newspapers.com. 11 1830 United States Federal Census, Regiment 67, Monroe, Tennessee, series M19, roll 175, page 101, family history library film 0024533, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 12 Ancestry.com, “U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current,” Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 13 Rhea Ghormley Alexander and Lloyd Ostby, “William J., Fowler, Mill and House,” National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, 1982, Section 8: Significance, page 4, https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/84ad290e-1a76-43f8-b2c9-95819c1cdeb2. 14 William Jasper Fowler Jr., “Fowler Farm,” Century Farm Application, Section II-A: History of the Land, located at the Albert Gore Research Center, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN. 15 1850 United States Federal Census – Slave Schedules, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 16 Tennessee, Wills and Probate Records, 1779-2008, Will Books, 1825-1869, Monroe County, Tennessee, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 17 1860 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 18 “GEORGE MONTGOMERY MURDERED, Madisonville Democrat (Madisonville, TN), April 1st, 1942. 19 Tennessee, Wills and Probate Records, 1779-2008, Miscellaneous Probate Records, 1853-1941, Monroe County, Tennessee, page 110, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 20 Goodspeed History of Tennessee, Containing Historical and Biographical Sketches of Thirty East Tennessee Counties (Nashville: The Goodspeed Publishing Col, 1887), page 998. 21 The Republican Chronicle (Knoxville, TN), May 14th, page 3, Newspapers.com. 22 Rhea Ghormley Alexander and Lloyd Ostby, “William J., Fowler, Mill and House,” National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, 1982, Section 8: Significance, page 4, https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/84ad290e-1a76-43f8-b2c9-95819c1cdeb2. 23 Ancestry.com, “U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current,” Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 24 Chattanooga Daily Times (Chattanooga, TN), October 4th, 1916, page 3, Newspapers.com. 25 Tennessee, Death Records, 1908-1958, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, roll number 3, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 26 Rhea Ghormley Alexander and Lloyd Ostby, “William J., Fowler, Mill and House,” National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, 1982, Section 8: Significance, page 4, https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/84ad290e-1a76-43f8-b2c9-95819c1cdeb2. 27 James W. Ely, et al., A History of the Tennessee Supreme Court (Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 2002) page 44. 28 Ely, et al., A History of the Tennessee Supreme Court, page 45. 29 Loretta Ettien Lautzenheiser, “The Brainerd Mill and the Tellico Mills: The Development of Water Milling in the East Tennessee Valley” (PhD dissertation, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 1986), page 7. 30 Lautzenheiser, “The Brainerd Mill and the Tellico Mills,” page 30. 31 Lautzenheiser, “The Brainerd Mill and the Tellico Mills,” page 8.

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32 Tri-Weekly Nashville Union (Nashville, Tennessee), March 24th, 1842, page 4, Newspapers.com. 33 Acts of the State of Tennessee Passed by the Fifty-Sixth General Assembly, 1909 (Nashville, TN.: McQuiddy Printing Company), page 245. 34 Knoxville Sentinel (Knoxville, Tennessee), July 7th, 1921, page 10, Newspapers.com. 35 Donald L. Winter, “Agriculture,” Tennessee Encyclopedia, March 1, 2018, accessed 1.30.20, http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/agriculture/. 36 Rhea Ghormley Alexander and Lloyd Ostby, “William J., Fowler, Mill and House,” National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, 1982, Section 8: Significance, page 4, https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/84ad290e-1a76-43f8-b2c9-95819c1cdeb2. 37 “About,” Tennessee Overhill; McMinn, Monroe, Polk, https://tennesseeoverhill.com/about-tennessee-overhill-heritage-association-toha/, accessed 11.4.2019. 38 “Mission and Guiding Principles,” Tennessee Overhill; McMinn, Monroe, Polk, https://tennesseeoverhill.com/about-tennessee-overhill-heritage-association-toha/mission-guiding-principles/, accessed 11.4.2019. 39 “Media Page,” Guide to Tellico Plains Tennessee, https://www.tellico-plains.com/media.html, accessed 3.24.20. 40 “Preservation Grants,” Tennessee.gov, https://www.tn.gov/environment/about-tdec/tennessee-historical-commission/redirect---tennessee-historical-commission/redirect---federal-programs-for-the-tennessee-historical-commission/preservation-grants.html, accessed 3.24.20. 41 “About Us,” Foothills Land Conservancy, http://foothillsland.org/about-us/, accessed 1.27.20. 42 Ibid. 43 “Landowners” Foothills Land Conservancy, http://foothillsland.org/landowners/, accessed 1.27.20. 44 Protect Your Land,” The Land Trust for Tennessee, https://www.landtrusttn.org/for-landowners/protect-your-land/, accessed 11.4.2019. 45 Megan Bruch, et al., Agritourism in Focus: A Guide for Tennessee Farmers (Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 2005), page 1. 46 “Country Fair,” Prater’s Mill Historic Site, http://pratersmill.org/fair/, accessed 11.4.2019.