MEYTRE MILL AT McGALLIARD FALLS IN BURKE COUNTY

 Located on the outskirts of the Burke County hamlet of Valdese at the foot of McGalliard Falls in the Meytre Mill.  Fred Meytre constructed the mill on this site in 1906 and operated it into the 1940's.  

The falls are 45 feet tall and flow over a broad granite slope.  The waterwheel is 16 feet in diameter and 2.5 feet wide.  It is a large overflow wheel feed by a channeled millrace, the remnants of which still can be seen.

The original waterwheel was washed away in the 1916 it was replaced with a turbine.  The mill was restored in 1982 and a replica waterwheel was installed.

The site is now owned and operated by the town of Valdese.  The park has a nice strollway and a large picnic shelter.  The creek feeding the falls loops around the park to the centerpiece of the park, McGalliard Falls.

In 2015, a large tree fell and damaged the restored metal mill race.  Though it is evident there has been some work to shore up the foundation of the restored mill, there is much work to be done to put this mill back into operation.

The park regularly hosts weddings and engagements as well as various other events throughout the year.  It is a picturesque venue with both the mill and the large waterfall as a back drop.

I hope the good folks in Valdese see fit to spend some more money on the mill and it one day will grind meal again.  In the meantime, it is a great place to stop on the way to a visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The address of the park is located at 1400 Falls Road, Valdese, North Carolina.

I had to post this one last picture...a great reflection.