Bodenham Mill Pulaski, Tennessee

Text courtesy of the National Register of Historic Places, a program of the National Parks Service. Minor transcription errors or changes in formatting may have occurred; please see the Nomination Form PDF for official text. Some information may have become outdated since the property was nominated for the Register.

The Bodenham Mill is eligible for the National Register under criterion A for its local significance in commerce. Rebuilt ca.1930 in rural Giles County, the grist and flour mill served as the center of trade and activity within the community for twenty-five years. At the time the present mill was rebuilt, following loss by fire, Bodenham was already in the midst of a gradual decline, having lost its post office by 1914. Transportation in the area had improved as highways were completed, allowing farmers to travel to larger mills in cities like Pulaski, the county seat. Despite the decline, the Bodenham Mill survived for the next twenty-five years, serving a more localized region. Early in its history, the mill drew farmers from far distances; however, by the 1930s, the clientele was primarily smaller farmers who wanted more specialized, personalized services. The water-powered technology of the Bodenham Mill remained relatively unchanged since its original construction in the 1830s. However, the continued success of the mill allowed for the introduction of more advanced, and efficient equipment that survives within the building's interior. As such, the mill managed to keep pace with new milling techniques while retaining a smaller, personalized clientele in and around Bodenham. The present Bodenham Mill operated ca.1930 to ca.l955. The building retains a large degree of its historic and architectural integrity.