McHargue’s Mill
At McHargue’s Mill in London, Kentucky, visitors can view over 100 hand-chiseled “Library of Mountain Millstones” lining the paths around the gristmill. It’s the largest collection of millstones outside the Smithsonian Institution.
Park manager Joey Engle says, “The majority of millstones have been donated by families in the community and each is numbered. We are working with the state to record accurate information about who donated them.”
The 2,000-pound millstone used by the mill is from Pennsylvania. It dates to 1805 and was brought over the Wilderness Road, while others originate from Europe and France, says Engle.
On Saturdays and Sundays visitors can watch mill worker Connie Taylor grind corn into meal, and they can buy a 2-pound bag of white or yellow cornmeal. The mill, normally open Thursday–Sunday, Memorial Day through October, may open later in June amid COVID-19 concerns.
McHargue’s Mill stands inside the entrance to the 896-acre Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park in Laurel County, which is served by Jackson Energy Cooperative. The mill was moved from Robinson Creek to its current location in 1939, which was operated as a state park until September 2019, when it was transferred to the city of London.
Engle says the park and trails continue to be open year-round. It also offers the Mountain Life Museum & Gift Shop, Treetop Adventure, 136-site campground, clubhouse and picnic shelters for rental, as well as a pool, mini-golf course, playgrounds and other activities, available once reopened.
