China Grove Roller Mill will serve chicken, give visitors some pickin’

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, October 12, 2021

CHINA GROVE — “Chicken and Pickin’ at the Mill” scheduled Saturday will feature homemade chicken dumplings, homemade desserts, music, exhibits and merchandise for sale.

Proceeds from the supper will be used for the upkeep and operating expenses of the China Grove Roller Mill. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Supper will be served from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. (or until the dumplings run out).

The event is presented by the Rowan Museum.

Daisy Clover, a musical group with Mary Gillespie and Melissa Adams along with special guest, Chad Safrit, will lend their talents to the China Grove Roller Mill porch to cover songs from the past 40 years that include country, roots rock, folk and bluegrass. Each member brings a unique style drawn from skills acquired playing with various groups over the years.

All three floors of the Roller Mill will be open for visiting. An agricultural exhibit displays pictures and artifacts of farming from more than 100 years ago. The exhibit reminds those who grew up on a farm of the life, hardships and joys of farm living and teaches other about the life of a farm family a generation ago.

New Roller Mill merchandise will be on sale for the first time. The items include tea towels and aprons with the official Roller Mill logos, notecards and prints of historical sites in China Grove, new scenic postcards and a soap made especially for the Roller Mill with a milk and honey scent.

Corporate sponsors for the event are: F&M Bank, First National Bank, Gary’s Bar-B-Que, King Eye Center, Price Pharmacy, South Rowan Animal Hospital, Goodnight and Sons, Tarheel Safe and Lock, Inc. and Thrivent Financial Services.

The Roller Mill was organized in 1883 as a combination grist mill and sawmill. In 1903, the three-story brick building that now stands on North Main Street was constructed. There is also a basement under the building that houses the motors that power the machines. Elevators to three floors carried the grain for processing.

The mill is located at 308 N. Main St. in China Grove and is on the National Record of Historical Places.

Tours of the mill are offered by appointments for interested individuals and groups. Call the Rowan Museum at 704-663-5946 for more information.