The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, along with other state and local agencies, is exploring efforts to save and potentially restore the Great Falls Cotton Mill at Rock Island State Park in Warren County.
The mill, built on the banks of the Caney Fork River in 1892, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The mill was in operation until 1902, when its wheelhouse was destroyed by a flood. It was added to the National Register in 1982.
The project is still in a conceptual phase, but state officials believe improvements could boost visitation to the park and enhance economic activity in Warren County.
The mill sits on property owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority, and TVA is one of several stakeholders whose officials have discussed efforts to restore the mill.
Other partners looking at the potential of the project are the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Tennessee Historical Commission, the McMinnville-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, the Industrial Development Board of McMinnville-Warren County, and other local officials.
The work could require a rerouting of a section of Highway 287 around the mill, creating a safer roadway for motorists as well as additional green space to explore the historic attraction.