Prater's Mill
Prater's Mill was built in the mid-19th century. It is located in Varnell, Georgia. Serving the city of Dalton as a working mill, it is now used as the center piece of a country fair that showcases cultural history of Southern Appalachia. The country fair consists of mountain music, Southern foods, and living history exhibits and the handmade crafts and original art of 185 talented artists and artisans. Crafts include blacksmithing, spinning, quilting, rug hooking, woodcarving, and hand tufting. At the fair, visitors take self-guided tours viewing the gristmill, the country store, Shugart Cotton Gin , and Westbrook Barn that has farm animals. Across from the mill, in 1898, the Prater's store was built. It serves Southern meals that have pinto beans, turnip greens and dried apple stack cake. Elsewhere throughout the festival are other specialties such as pit-cooked barbecue, apple cider, fried apple pies and churned ice cream. While at the fair, visitors enjoy canoeing on the Coahulla Creek, a walk down the nature trail and pony rides for children. Educational exhibits include a Civil War encampment, working antique engines and "Peacock Alley", a clothesline display of hand-tufted bedspreads. Ongoing entertainment consists  of on stage clogging, country bands, and gospel singers. The Prater's Mill Country Fair is sponsored by the Prater's Mill Foundation, a non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to historic preservation and education. Thirty-nine civic clubs, churches and schools also participate in the community event. The hours are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $7.00, children 12 and under are free. Visitors are urged to dress casually and wear comfortable shoes. Parking is free. History. Prater's Mill is one of 70,000 properties on the  National Register of Historic Places. Included in the list are all historic areas within the National Park System, over 2,200 National Historic Landmarks, and properties across the nation that have been nominated for the honor. The mill's heritage runs back to the Cherokee Indians. It was built by Benjamin Franklin Prater in 1855. The water-powered mill was originally fitted with the latest in grain cleaning, grinding and sifting machinery, all powered by the Coahulla Creek. As the mill's popularity grew, Prater added a cotton gin, a saw mill, a wool carder, a syrup mill, a general store , and a blacksmiths shop. For almost a hundred years, farmers would line up with their mules and wagons early in the morning to get their turn with the millers. During the civil war, the mill was used as campsites for both sides of the war. While used by the Union army, the mill was considered a valuable source for food so it was not destroyed. The Prater family ran the mill until the 1950s. A succession of miller's ran the mill until the 1960s. In 1971, the all-volunteer Prater's Mill Foundation took over the mill and began  extensive restoration and preservation efforts. Today the mill is best known for the arts and crafts festival held twice a year. Throughout the year, the grounds are a popular site for fishing, cookouts and family reunions. On May 20, 1995, fire was intentionally set on the north side of the mill. Two arson convictions have been made to date. Most of the damage was on the inside of the mill. The force of the fire blew out most of the windows, damaged the roof, siding, electrical system, and destroyed an antique display case.