Millstones

Millstones of large diameter used for grinding cereals, ores for paint, fertilizers, and other products have been quarried from a variety of rocks in North Carolina since colonial times [3]. In Moore County [4] a quartz conglomerate from Parkwood was an important source. The Smith granite quarry near Charlotte [5] was worked for millstones that were used in early ore mills. Triassic sandstones were used for millstones and whetstones. During the twentieth century, most millstones were from Rowan County [6] granite [7], and as recently as 1953 they continued to be used in the preparation of paints, fertilizer, and feldspar.

Additional Resources:

Hockensmith, Charles D. The Millstone Industry: A Summary of Research on Quarries and Producers in the United States, Europe And Elsewhere [8]. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co, Inc., 2009.

Associated Press. "Ghost Town is Unmarked: The Mill Shut Down and the Workers Left." The Hour (Norwalk, Conn.). April 23, 1983. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3x9JAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VwYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2498%2C3317979 [9].