Nora Mill Turns 150 in a Year the Nacoochee Valley Kept Its Landmarks Open

A photo in this week's White County News shows Joe Vandergriff and his mother, standing outside Nora Mill. They are standing in front of the gristmill and its country store, holding an old photo of the mill. The story ran on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, under the headline "Nora Mill celebrates 150 years." It describes a gristmill that has stood on the bank of the Chattahoochee River for a century and a half, grinding grain nearly continuously from the 1800s to today.

That anniversary caps a pattern that has run through the valley all year. Three well-known places along the Sautee Nacoochee corridor could have closed. All three stayed open, either under new hands or after renovation. Nora Mill is run today by Joe and Addi Vandergriff. Nacoochee Grill closed for a winter and reopened under a new owner. And the History Museum at the Sautee Nacoochee Center, which volunteers created more than 30 years ago, reopened after a renovation that lasted almost two years. For anyone who lives in White County, this fall is a natural time to see what came through.

A mill still grinding after 150 years

Nora Mill Granary dates to 1876. Miller Joe Vandergriff and his wife, Addi, now run the gristmill and its country store, and they plan to mark the anniversary. The full White County News story is for subscribers only. The public summary is enough to show a mill that is still working and still grinding grain.

The mill's products include:

• Grits and cornmeal
• Pancake and waffle mixes, plus other baking mixes
• Flours
• Pioneer's Porridge
• Country-store goods like candy, jams, honey, and cast iron

The 2026 Alpine Helen–White County travel guide lists an October anniversary celebration hosted together by Nora Mill and Nacoochee Village Antiques. The guide prints the date as "Oct TBA." As of early October, no published source gives a specific day. The best place to find out is the counter at the mill.

The Grill went dark for one winter

Nora Mill shows what continuity looks like over 150 years. Nacoochee Grill shows what it looks like over a few months.

Last December, Greg "Mully" Ash announced that Mully's Nacoochee Grill would close after 13 years. Now Georgia reported that he made the announcement on December 9, 2025, with the last day of service on December 27. His farewell post was addressed to the valley:

"My family has lived in this county for over 150 years, and my locals mean the world to me. Thank you so much for your support."

He had opened the restaurant in June 2013 and described it as "a place with heart, where friendship and camaraderie were the main ingredients."

The building did not stay empty for long. Minutes from the White County Alcohol Beverage Commission dated March 13, 2026, list Matt Boggs as owner of Matt's Nacoochee Grill, LLC, doing business as Nacoochee Grill, and record approval of his alcohol license application. In the spring, White County News reported a busy first week back, with the restaurant serving 750 guests in its first week. For a single steak-and-seafood dining room out on the valley road, 750 guests in a week is a lot.

Here are the details for planning a visit, from the restaurant's website:

It is dinner only, and closed Monday and Tuesday. Nobody can show up for lunch, so a valley Saturday has to be planned around the 4 p.m. opening.

The museum volunteers built, renovated for its next chapter

The third handoff happened down the road at the Sautee Nacoochee Center. Community volunteers created the Sautee Nacoochee History Museum more than 30 years ago. Dr. Tom Lumsden collected and donated many of its early artifacts. In September 2024, it closed for a renovation that lasted almost two years.

The renovation was paid for by the Dr. Tom and India Lumsden Endowment. The founding collector's own gift paid to modernize the museum he helped start. David Greear led the renovation team, which included Center president Jeff Dalrymple and Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia director Emily DeFoor. HW Exhibits designed and built the new displays, and contractor Adam Reed of Community Construction did the remodeling on site.

The museum reopened on June 6, 2026, with a free public reception. Its exhibits run from the valley's geological formation through Native American history, early European settlement, gold mining, the Nacoochee School, and the Bean Creek community. They use artifacts, interactive displays, audio stations, and a video on local history, and the building is now more accessible. Admission is still free. The same campus also holds the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia, gallery spaces, the Native Peace Garden, and the historic grounds.

For anyone who last walked through before 2024, the exhibits have been updated, and the valley's story is the same.

The Center's calendar from now through December

The renovated museum shares its campus with a full fall program. The Sautee Nacoochee Center's calendar for the rest of 2026 is the easiest reason to make more than one trip:

The Burrison Collection exhibit opened September 18 and runs through March 21, 2027. It can wait until after the holidays. The Face Jug workshop on November 14 is a hands-on pairing with a visit to the Folk Pottery Museum on the same campus.

There is one deadline this week. The Center's online Sautee Art Affair auction runs through October 10.

One Saturday that covers all three

October 24 is the one date where the valley's whole year fits into a single afternoon and evening:

1. Start at Hardman Farm, which hosts its Mountain Farm Celebration that day.
2. Stop by Nora Mill for grits or cornmeal, and ask whether the anniversary celebration has a date yet.
3. Go to the Sautee Nacoochee Center for the "Yuletide at Sautee" reception, then walk through the renovated History Museum, which is free.
4. Have dinner at Nacoochee Grill once it opens at 4 p.m.
5. Go back to the Center for the Community Contra Dance from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

If that Saturday doesn't work, the valley has a few other dates on the calendar. Creekstone Winery in Sautee Nacoochee has live music on Fridays and Saturdays through December 12. Helen's annual Village Lighting is November 27. Hardman Farm's Victorian Christmas runs December 4–5, 11–12, and 18–19, from 4 to 7 p.m. Those evening hours line up with the Grill's dinner hours.

Our team at The Jason Buffington Realty Team has worked across White County long enough to remember when Nora Mill's 150th was still years off. If you own a home along the Sautee Nacoochee corridor and you're curious how the valley's steady character affects what your property is worth today, we're glad to talk it through. Schedule a No-Pressure Consultation, and we'll start wherever is most useful to you.