Ivy Mill and Allenbrook: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Regions 1, 2, & 4 Park Cultural Landscapes Program

Inventory Unit Description: The Ivy Mill is a historic site complex located in Fulton County, in Roswell, Georgia, north of Atlanta at the confluence of Big Creek (historically known as Vickery Creek) and the Chattahoochee River. The cultural landscape consists of approximately 2.90 acres of a historic mill complex and includes 19th century woolen mill ruins, raceway, earthen and stone dam, and associated artifact scatter. The area south of Riverside Road contains the architectural ruins. The site is part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CHAT)’s Vickery Creek Unit. This cultural landscape focuses on the mill ruins located at the southeast quadrant of the intersection of State Route (SR) 9/Roswell Road, Riverside Road, and Vickery Creek. The proposed site boundary then extends north of Riverside Road to include the mill raceway and earthen and stone dam on Vickery Creek. The south end of the site is approximately 40 meters north of the northern bank of the Chattahoochee River. The northern boundary terminates at the ruins of the earthen and stone dam on Vickery Creek. The Ivy Mill complex was first constructed in 1856 as a woolen mill by James Roswell King and his brother, Thomas Edward King. In 1860, there was only one woolen mill, presumed to be Ivy Mill, in Cobb County, as indicated during that year’s census records (Gerdes 2007, Braley 1992). During the Civil War, the Ivy Mill produced “Roswell Gray” cloth uniforms for the Confederate Army. The mill was destroyed in the spring of 1864 by Union Troops and its workers were sent north. By 1871, the mill was rebuilt and began operating as the Empire Mill. Over succeeding years, the mill changed ownership several times and by 1877 the complex was incorporated as Laurel Mills. Under the new change in ownership Laurel Mills expanded operations to include flour, meal, and cotton in addition to wool. By 1920 the mill had ceased operating and was permanently closed. The mill began to be dismantled and deconstructed in 1924. Ivy Mill is significant as a complex of building ruins and engineered landscape associated with a pattern of significant historic events and persons as it exemplifies the early development of industry and was established by the founders of Roswell, Georgia. The site possesses significance for its association with nationally important events and themes including the Civil War and Industrial Revolution. The Ivy Mill has been determined eligible for the NRHP under all four criteria. What stands today of the site are ruined, stone rubble walls which are the remains of the “picker house,” and the main mill building, as well as a preserved raceway, remnants of a flour mill, a stone and earthen dam, bridge abutments, and other architectural remains. Vickery Creek is also an extant natural feature within the landscape; it served as the source of power for mill. Non-historic features on the mill site include surface trails, boardwalks, and interpretive signage added in the late twentieth century to support visitation to the park. Riverside Road bisects the mill site and includes a concrete bridge over Vickery Creek constructed in 1958, and has been improved with asphalt paving after the historic period.SR 9 (Atlanta Road/ Roswell Road crosses the river on a concrete bridge to the southwest of the site and continues along the western edge of the Ivy Mill site to the north, and turns northwest to form the southern boundary of Allenbrook.

Ivy Mill and Allenbrook: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

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