Kymulga – As part of their annual conference gathering in Birmingham in October, the Society of Preservation of Old Mills (SPOOM) chose to gather at the historic Kymulga Grist Mill Park, to experience it’s rich, unique history.
“The stop was arranged by Ken Boyd of Pall Mall, Tennessee,” explained Dave Cartwright of local park, “They toured several historic sites in Alabama leading up to their conference, and chose our park for it’s unique features.”
About 80 grist mill enthusiasts, representing over a dozen states, toured the historic aspects of Kymulga Grist Mill Park, including a pair of features listed on the National Registry of Historic Places – the Kymulga Grist Mill and its Kymulga Covered Bridge across Talladega Creek.
“I love talking about our unique grist mill while giving tours,” said Cartwright, “but this one was quite different in several ways. They already knew more about grist mill operations than me, and I was the youngster in the crowd.”
Besides the fact that the Kymulga Grist Mill was a rare mill that survived the Civil War – many were burned down as part of the fighting, it’s also one of the larger grist mills in the south and features some of the largest corn grinding stones.
“As a photographer/ author, Boyd was excited to see and photograph what we have available. His coffee table books are amazing, and I look forward to seeing our mill including in one of those books in the future.” explained Cartwright. “Those SPOOM members have a real appreciation for all the historic details of old grist mills, and ours is something quite special.”
