Mill Ridge

Located on the northeastern edge of the North Lake, Mill Ridge features the Brewer-Austin Mill, C. Grooms’ Smithy, Hugh Wade’s Feed Store, an original one-room schoolhouse, “his and her” outhouses and a windmill.

On select Saturdays, Discovery Park of America offers a free add-on experience for guests. Watch blacksmiths at work in The Smithy, meet historical reenactors near The Settlement, and step into The Wade Cabin for hands-on mid-1800s crafts and activities. It’s a casual, come-and-go program that brings the park’s history to life.

The Brewer-Austin Mill features an actual gristmill that was originally used in the Massengill Mill, about 25 miles northeast of Knoxville. The Massengill Mill was first opened in 1796, and the mill now at Discovery Park was first installed in 1816. It remained in operation until the Massengill family was forced to close it during the Great Depression.

The Schoolhouse once stood about six miles west of Discovery Park on Maupin Road and is one of the last one-room schoolhouses that can be found in the region.