A lot of people go to Juliette to visit the Whistle Stop Cafe [of Fried Green Tomatoes fame], and that’s a fun day, but my favorite landmark in this historic community is the old Juliette Milling Company. It may appear abandoned but it is private property.
From 1927 until its closure in 1957, it was the leading industry in the area. At its peak in the 1930s, it was the largest stone-ground meal facility in the world, buying upwards of a million bushels of corn per year. J. M. Birch was the president of the company, famous for its Juliette Grits brand. The four-story concrete mill, encompassing nearly 20,000 square feet, was advantageously located between the Ocmulgee River and the adjacent Southern Railway line.
I visited Juliette several years ago. Of course, ate at the Whistle Stop Cafe, even had fried green tomatoes, checked out abandoned homes, and as you say, had a fun day!
I didn’t know this was a grist mill, but was impressed by its size. Too bad it’s not still in business.. We still eat corn meal!