You’ve seen it pictured on calendars, mugs and coffee table books. It’s the Glade Creek Grist Mill ??” one of the most photographed images in the world.
Set on a boulder-strewn mountain stream at Babcock State Park, West Virginia, the weather-beaten mill offers a picturesque setting all four seasons.
It’s also a real working mill. During operating hours, visitors can tour the mill and learn about the process that grinds corn into cornmeal.
Milling is an occupation that died in the 1950s but nostalgia brought it back. The Glade Creek Grist Mill, built in 1976, serves as tribute to the hundreds of mills that once dotted the landscape in West Virginia.
It’s a replica of the original Cooper’s Mill that was located nearby, according to Stephen Tyree, the miller at Glade Creek.
“It’s the most photographed mill in the United States and it’s world renowned,” Tyree said, noting that the mill receives thousands of visitors each year from as far away as Europe and Asia.
Although it’s a relatively new mill, Glade Creek is a patchwork quilt of sorts, built with parts salvaged from much older mills that had ceased operation. Its main structure came from Stoney Creek Grist Mill in Pocahontas County, the water wheel came from Spring Run Grist Mill in Grant County and other parts came from Onego Grist Mill in Pendleton County.
Image shot with a Nikon D300S, exposure at 1/640, F 2.8, ISO 400, Focal length 70mm, Nikkor 70-200 lens. Cropped to my liking and very little work in PS.
6 comments posted
Mike Patterson
What a lovely shot! Everything about it is excellent: the composition, the exposure, the processing, etc. You had the perfect subject and you did a perfect job of capturing it. Posted: 11/01/2024 19:05:24
Tom Buckard
Thank you Mike for your positive comments. I have always wanted to go there when the leave are changing but as of yet have not made it. Also during the spring thaw there are times when there's is a huge amount of water cascading through this area which could be quite dramatic. Posted: 11/01/2024 23:15:13
Michele Borgarelli
Tom, I have been there to photograph this mill a couple of times. You are right that there are thousands of images of this mill, but I have to say few have the "green frame". Most of the people go there during the fall for taking pictures of it with the foliage. This image conveys a feeling of calmness and the mill looks like part of the landscape. I think technically this is just a great image. Well done!
Michele Posted: 11/03/2024 12:30:05
Tom Buckard
Thanks Michele. I really want to get there in full fall color. Have been too early or too late. We have stayed in the cabins there several times but not cabin 13 which has a horrible past. Posted: 11/19/2024 00:49:56
John Zhu
It's a great shot. I like almost everythings you have: the green framing, the location of the house, and all the things making the story. It's peaceful and beautiful. Posted: 11/13/2024 22:49:27
Tom Buckard
Thank you so much John. Like I mentioned to Michele I want to catch it in fall color. Posted: 11/19/2024 00:51:34
