[2] In 1799, Andrew Nelson sold the downstream 100 acres of his 200-acre parcel that included a “mill seat and yard” on the south side of the river.

There were about fifty employees of the cotton factory, paper mill, gristmill, and sawmill, supporting a community of about 150 people.

In the 1890s the existing mill building was constructed; and about 1892, the rock dam was raised to its present height, creating a lake of 130 acres (53 ha).

Once safety studies of the brownfield were complete, it was determined that no harm would result if the toxic sediment and dam were left in place,[6] though in December 2016, inspectors from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control determined Conestee Dam, which is not keyed into the bedrock, to be in poor condition due to deterioration of mortar and water seepage.

[7] On March 2, 2014, the mill, as well as its dam and the residual lake, were included on the National Register of Historic Places, and the property is currently a nature park and wildlife sanctuary.