Catawba · est. 1913
Murray’s Mill Historic District
A working roller mill on Balls Creek with its 28-foot waterwheel intact, restored by the Association beginning in 1980.
A ten-minute hop from I-40, the Murray’s Mill Historic District nestles in the rolling countryside of eastern Catawba County along the banks of Balls Creek, just as it was a century ago. A placid pond slips over a mill dam, and the 28-foot waterwheel of this National Register site makes its slow way round. An old coffee can catches bottle caps by the general-store door, and a porch swing awaits you out front — as does a chat with a friendly guide before your tour.
Preserved intact are the 1913 mill itself, the 1890s Murray & Minges General Store, the 1880s Wheathouse (now an exhibit gallery), the 1913 John Murray House furnished to the period, and numerous outbuildings. Run by three generations of the Murray family, who closed operations in 1967, these picturesque structures form the last milling complex in the county — meticulously preserved and interpreted by the Catawba County Historical Association since restorations began in 1980. Governor James G. Martin attended the opening ceremony in 1988.
Visiting
The General Store is open Monday–Saturday, 10 am–5 pm, and Sunday 1–5 pm; the grounds are open during daylight hours. Guided tours are $10 per person and self-guided tours $7 per person — active-duty military and veterans free, with our thanks. Leashed pets are welcome (please clean up after them); no fishing or kayaking. For more information call (828) 241-4299.