A Brief History of Few’s Mill
Information on the history of Few’s Mill was acquired from The Historic Mills of Eno River State Park pamphlet and the Eno River Association Calendars for 1978 and 1988.
Few’s Mill, built by the brothers William and James Few, was in operation from approximately 1758 to 1908. Stone ruins are visible just west of the ford on the west bank of the River. The Fews played important roles in the colonial history of the area and the birth of the United States. William Few’s son, James Few, participated in the Battle of Alamance in 1771. He was captured and later hanged by the order of the royal governor William Tryon. The Fews, having lost public favor in the colonial town of Hillsborough, moved to Georgia. In Georgia, William Few Jr., distinguished himself as a patriot during the Revolutionary War and went on to sign the Constitution.
After the Fews, the mill property changed owners many times. In 1831, the mill site was owned by the W. Piper Company and included a blacksmith shop, oil mill, grist mill, saw mill, wheat thrasher and wool-carding machine. In the 1840s, the mill site was remodeled into a manufacturing company of various goods. The mill was abandoned in 1908 after being badly damaged by flooding.