#84 Reed Gold Mine Ten-Stamp Mill
1895
Typical late 19th-century western-US stamp mill
The first authenticated discovery of gold occurred on the Cabarrus County farm of John Reed in 1799, sparking the nation's first gold rush. During its peak years, more than a million dollars of gold was recovered a year, making North Carolina a leader in gold production until 1848. This mill, built by the Mecklenburg Iron Works of Charlotte, North Carolina, is original except for the timber work. Two groups of five 750-pound stamps with 5- to 7-inch lift, rose and fell thirty-five times a minute to yield a finely crushed ore. It is typical of those used in the late nineteenth century, not only in this state but in the western regions as well.
Century-old working stamp mill for crushing ore at Reed Gold Mine. Image courtesy N.C. Historic Sites, Division of Archives and History.
Landmark Location
Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site
9621 Reed Mine Road
Midland, NC 28107
Visiting Info
Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Sundays (seasonally) 1-5 p.m.
Related Links
Reed Gold Mine website https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/reed-gold-mine
Ceremony Notes
Designated by the Piedmont-Carolina Section, April 1983
Plaque Location, if specific
In same building with mill