History of The Old Mill House Bed & Breakfast

The pre-Civil war farmhouse has been recently remodeled to provide for all guest comforts. The Gathering Room was once an old log school house. The home has been placed on the National Historic Register.The innkeeper is also very active with historic preservation in the area.

The nineteenth century Graves Chapel, an old one room schoolhouse and a tiny post office are among the relics that complete the breathtaking panorama surrounding the B & B.

Rich in history, the Graves Mill Grist Mill, built in the early 1700's is situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Madison County, Virginia.

The mill and the community derived its name from the Thomas Graves family which settled here in the mid 1700's. Thomas Graves was the sixth generation of Graves from England. He and his sons built the overshot water powered mill which can also be dated to the early 1700's.

The mill operated as a flour and corn mill and also served as the community voting precinct. The miller and mill was an important cog in the mechanics of American business. The miller became a price-setter, counselor, buy and seller and offered advice on financial matters. He became the new world's first captain of industry.

Thus, the mill provided a vital link within the Graves Mill area which in turn allowed the small community and surrounding mountain countryside to grow and thrive.

The Graves Mill Grist Mill is a very old artifact which graphically illustrates a very significant economic and mechanical function once used during the early years of our country's development. Today, proud of their heritage, residents carry on the spirit of their ancestors and made Graves Mill, Virginia a unique and great place to live.

Outdoors, guest can gather around the embers of a campfire or sit on the front porch overlooking the mill pond. Cattle, deer, guineas, and many species of wild life make the experience like living in a painting that is constantly changing--the sun rising or setting, clouds dancing and casting shadows, fog lingering in the valley....

Come, relax and make yourself at home!