Group plans to save oldest gristmill in Hall County

GAINESVILLE - In the 19th century, William Head built a gristmill on the North Oconee River. Its water wheel provided power to grind grain and to run a sawmill. <br> <br> Now, more than 150 years later, a group is working to get the pre-Civil War era mill&#39;s water wheel spinning again. Members of the Gainesville-Hall Trust for Historic Preservation have formed a spinoff group that hopes to save Hall County&#39;s last intact gristmill. <br> <br> Preservation group chairman Jim Walters said, ``Hopefully, we can get the mill into operating condition again. Ultimately, we would like the (Department of Natural Resources) to take it over as a state historic site.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Members of the newly created Friends of Head&#39;s Mill Park and Historic Site plan to raise money to restore and maintain the site. A restoration architect estimated the project could cost about $600,000. <br> <br> Most residents now refer to the mill as Healan&#39;s Mill, after the family of current owner Burnice Healan. It was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1990. <br> <br> During its history, the mill was a grain crusher, wheat thrasher, sawmill, wine press, general store, public scale, blacksmith shop, antique store, shingle mill and Boy Scout meeting area. <br> <br> The preservation group has agreed to raise enough money to stabilize the mill&#39;s foundation until a full restoration can be done. They envision the first floor of the mill could be an interpretive center where visitors could watch corn ground into meal.