The Old Mill Closings and Reopenings, Here’s What You Need To Know

old mill restaurant in pigeon forge, tn

The Old Mill District is taking advantage of the off-season for a few renovations (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

The Old Mill Restaurant and bridge closed for scheduled renovations

You don’t last nearly 200 years without a few renovations here and there. That’s why the folks at the Old Mill District will take advantage of smaller crowds each off-season to do necessary renovations. But this year, the closing by the City of Pigeon Forge is a bit more significant than touching up a little wear and tear. So here’s what you need to know about what’s currently going on at the Old Mill:

Old Mill District Bridge With Pedestrians and Cars Pigeon Forge TN
The bridge at the Old Mill’s main entrance will be closed for repairs (photo by James Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

What’s closed and what’s still open?

The closing you need to know about is that the bridge at the Old Mill’s main entrance will be closed for repairs for a while. This closing, however, doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get into the Old Mill District. There are several alternate routes available. They include:

  • Stoplight 7: Turn left on River Road, then return to the Parkway. Turn right at Stoplight 5 and follow the directions from Stoplight 5 below.
  • Stoplight 5: Take Jake Thomas Road to Teaster Lane to Old Mill Ave.⁠
  • Stoplight 8: Take Dollywood Land to Teaster Lane to Old Mill Ave.
Chicken & Dumplings Old Mill Restaurant
The Old Mill is a great place to get Southern staples like chicken and dumplings (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

The Old Mill Restaurant

A second closing is also underway at the Old Mill, but it isn’t expected to last long. In fact, by the time you read this, it may have reopened already. The Old Mill Restaurant is undergoing off-season refurbishment. It closed on January 5 for work that was estimated to take several days. That work may be slightly extended by inclement weather.

While the bridge and Old Mill Restaurant are closed, the rest of the district remains open. That includes the Pottery House Café. The Café is known for its Southern classics and a lot more served in a historic setting on dishes created by the potters next door. The wide-ranging menu has everything from chicken livers to shrimp and grits, burgers, steaks, sandwiches and a lot more. If you want a sweet treat – even in the cold of an East Tennessee winter – you can visit the Old Mill Creamery with its variety of homemade ice creams.

But if you’re looking for something to warm you up on a cold winter day, try the Old Forge Distillery. There you will find hand-forged Tennessee spirits like moonshine, gin, cream liqueurs and bourbon. Free moonshine tastings are available. The Old Mill General Store, Pigeon River Pottery, The Old Mill Candy Kitchen, the Farmhouse Kitchen and the Sassafras boutique are also still open.

The Pottery House Cafe
The Pottery House is located within the Old Mill District in Pigeon Forge (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

When will these areas reopen?

Exact dates are not yet available. But Old Mill historian and spokesperson Jimmy Proffitt said the restaurant could be open within days. Proffitt explained the Old Mill periodically takes advantage of the off-season to do needed renovations, repairs and updates. When you serve as many people as the Mill does throughout the year, wear and tear is inevitable. The off-season is a good time to take care of cosmetic things. The restaurant could reopen within a week of its closing or less, he said. Both the Old Mill Restaurant and the Pottery House Café will be fully ready for the Valentine’s Day season.

The bridge – which is owned by the city – will be closed until “probably” the end of February, says Proffit. Proffit explained the first bridge at the sight was a wooden covered bridge built in 1859. It was swept away in a flood. The replacement was a steel bridge that survived until 1920 when another flood again washed it away. The “new” bridge was expanded in the 1960s to accommodate two-way traffic. However, it has not received significant renovations since that time. Proffit said the current plan is for the bridge to be open for traffic by the end of February. That said, work may continue into mid-spring.

old mill in pigeon forge tn
The Old Mill is one of the most historic places in Pigeon Forge (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

History of the Old Mill

The Old Mill is one of the most historic locations in Pigeon Forge. Built as a labor of Love by William Love and his brothers in 1830, it is one of the oldest continually operating gristmills in the country. The mill’s roots go back to the very founding of Pigeon Forge. In 1817, Issac Love, William’s father, built the very forge that gave the city its name on land not far from where Williams built the mill. In 1859, John Sevier Trotter acquired the mill and iron forge, adding a sawmill to the operation. He’s the one who milled the lumber for the original covered bridge at Trotter’s Ford.

In 1946, Douglas Ferguson recognized the value of the area’s red clay, converting a tobacco barn built by Trotter into a Pigeon Forge Pottery. He built a home next door, the site of the Pottery House Café today.

In 1993, the Cornflour Restaurant opened on the site. Two years later, it became known as the Old Mill Restaurant. Ferguson, who became a nationally renowned potter, passed in 1999. The Pottery House Café opened in his former home in 2003 next to his old studio. Along the way, various shops joined the district and in 2014, the distillery became the newest addition.

Location and hours of operation

Located at 3341 Old Mill Street, Pigeon Forge, the Pottery House Café is open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm with lunch and dinner hours throughout the week from 11 am to 9 pm.

Most district shops are open from 10 am to 6 pm Sunday through Thursday and 10 am to 8 pm on Friday and Saturday. The General Store is open from 8 am to 7 pm Sunday through Thursday and 8 am to 8 pm Friday and Saturday. The Distillery is open from 10 am to 9 pm Monday through Saturday and from 10 am to 6 pm on Sunday. Note that hours are subject to change.

Free parking is available for Old Mill guests in front of the restaurants and shops. There is additional parking for the Pottery House restaurant on Butler Street, right off Old Mill Ave. The Old Mill District is also just a short walk from Patriot Park, the main hub of the Pigeon Forge Trolley System.

Have a question or comment about something in this article? Contact our staff here. You may also contact our editorial team at info@thesmokies.com.

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