Hagood Mill Historic Site was built as a grist mill in 1845. Today, Pickens County owns the site, and the nonprofit Hagood Mill Foundation manages it. It features a grist mill, a working water wheel, historic buildings, and nature trails and is a beautiful and interesting place to visit, especially if you enjoy stepping back in time and learning what life was like for the people who lived here years ago. Local mom, Kristen Alcock, brings us all the details and helpful hints to make your visit to Hagood Mill a wonderful adventure!
Hagood Mill Quick Facts
- Location: 138 Hagood Mill Rd, Pickens, SC 29671
- Hours: The mill, petroglyph site, and gift shop are open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm; the grounds, hiking trails and picnic areas are open every day
- Admission: Free, except for ticketed Third Saturday events
- Ages: All ages
- Things to do: 1845 grist mill with a 20-foot waterwheel, the Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site, historic cabins, blacksmith shop, cotton gin and moonshine still, hiking trails, disc golf, and monthly Third Saturday festivals with live milling
- Contact: 864-898-2936 | visithagoodmill.com
Folklife Center
Walking around Hagood Mill, you’ll see two restored log cabins, a moonshine distillery, a blacksmith shop, and a cotton gin. Inside the cabins are a giant loom, spinning wheel, and other historical items. My son loved watching the cotton gin demonstration and touching the raw cotton. “Our favorite part was seeing the grist mill!” said Christel Price, a KAG reader. “The kids loved seeing it in action and learning how the whole process works.”
Nature Trail
The walking trail through the woods and around historic buildings is great for hikers of all ages. The trail is unpaved and a little bumpy. It’s short enough for little walkers to manage, and is usually very shady. My family did not walk the entire trail, but Elizabeth Lamb from Hike it Baby Greenville said, “It’s a beautiful 3/4 mile trail with a fun bridge. It’s perfect for young walkers.”
Petroglyph Site
This fascinating archeological site highlights 32 distinct petroglyphs, and Hagood Mill says it is South Carolina’s only petroglyph site open to the public. Discovered in 2003, it is estimated that the drawings were left by a prehistoric culture 1,500 to 2,000 years ago. The drawings are pretty eroded, but the exhibit has a great audio presentation, photographs, and explanation of the historical significance of the drawings and the people who left them.
Special Events
My family was lucky enough to visit Hagood Mill during one of their monthly festivals, which included banjo and fiddle music, local pottery, as well as moonshine, cotton gin, and gristmill demonstrations. The once-a-month events are noted on their events calendar. Hagood Mill holds Kidsfest in the spring, a Viking Invasion in the fall, various music festivals, and more.
Other events include the annual Fiddling Championship and Storytelling Festival. Look for a Native American Celebration in November and a Celtic Christmas in December.
Hagood Mill also occasionally offers some really interesting classes like hearth cooking, fermenting wild foods, a sketchbook workshop, and learning how 19th-century southerners survived winters on the homestead.
Gift Shop
Shop local at the Hagood Mill gift shop. You can buy products such as jams, honey, and jewelry, pottery, and soaps made by local artists. They also have books about local history, t-shirts, and CDs. The gift shop also sells cornmeal and stone ground grits made right there at the grist mill!
We read a book that mentioned mills and what they do before our visit, and it helped my son understand what he was seeing. Here are a few books that cover gristmills and petroglyphs:
Books that mention or explain mills, grain, and flour:
Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle
Any version of the Little Red Hen
The Grist Mill Secret by Lillie V. Albrecht
Books that describe or mention petroglyphs:
There Was an Old Man Who Painted the Sky by Teri Sloat
Early Humans (DK Eyewitness Book)
Magic Tree House #7: Sunset of the Sabertooth by Mary Pope Osborne
Hagood Mill FAQ
Is Hagood Mill free to visit?
Yes. Hagood Mill says admission is free except for Third Saturday events, which are ticketed. Check the events calendar for details.
What are Hagood Mill’s hours?
The mill, the Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site and the gift shop are open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. The grounds, hiking trails, and picnic areas are open every day.
When can we see the grist mill grinding corn?
Hagood Mill offers live milling every third Saturday of the month during its Third Saturday events.
Where is Hagood Mill?
Hagood Mill Historic Site is at 138 Hagood Mill Rd, Pickens, SC 29671. Call 864-898-2936 with questions.
I know this article is old, but FYI that your links to the mill website are wrong/broken. Here is the correct site: https://www.hagoodmillhistoricsite.com/upcoming-events
Also there is no longer a parking fee for their 3rd Saturday events, it’s now a per person fee and varies by event … sometimes $5 per person and some events are $15/person (where a concert is included). Their event page has all the info.