City Directories and History: The Sheriff Mill Complex, located on Brushy Creek in the Zion community, includes a main house, gristmill, miller’s house, millpond, and dam constructed in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Owned and operated by the Sheriff family, the complex is representative of a late nineteenth and early twentieth century milling operation. It is one of the most intact gristmill complexes that has been identified in the state. In addition, the wood frame main house, constructed ca. 1898-99, is a significant example of a late nineteenth century adaptation and expansion of an I-house, a house type common in the Piedmont. Exodus Sheriff shared ownership of the gristmill property with his brothers Samuel and Alfred Sheriff. In 1881 they constructed the present one and one-half story gristmill on the site of an earlier corn mill. Sheriff family descendants operated the gristmill until about 1955. The corn and wheat milling machinery in intact. The present concrete dam was built around 1900 to replace an earlier log dam. The millpond served as a reservoir to power the gristmill’s waterwheel and for a sawmill that is no longer standing. The one and one-half story miller’s house was built around the mid-nineteenth century and served as the home of miller’s associated with the operation of the property. Listed in the National Register November 20, 1987. (Courtesy of South Carolina Department of Archives and History)
Stay Connected
Explore history, houses, and stories across S.C. Your membership provides you with updates on regional topics, information on historic research, preservation, and monthly feature articles. But remember R&R wants to hear from you and assist in preserving your own family genealogy and memorabilia.
Visit the Southern Queries – Forum to receive assistance in answering questions, discuss genealogy, and enjoy exploring preservation topics with other members. Also listed are several history and genealogical researchers for hire.
User comments welcome — post at the bottom of this page.
TEXT – NR NOMINATION
NATIONAL REGISTER – IMAGE(S)
Mill’s house at Sherriff’s Mill
Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road.
Do you have information to share and preserve? Family, school, church, or other older photos and stories are welcome. Send them digitally through the “Share Your Story” link, so they too might be posted on Roots and Recall.
Thanks!
