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When the Clemmons Mill was constructed over 100 years ago by L.C. Hobson from Yadkin County, its services became the backbone to the community that would eventually become the Village of Clemmons. On Thursday, May 29, the village honored the mill with a marker denoting its history.

“It’s important to remember our past as we move into the future. The mayor’s speech put it very well, we want to learn from our past as we move forward. It’s important to identify and remember and, in a way, pay tribute to the history,” said Planning and Community Development Director Doug Moore, who coordinates the village’s marker program, in a phone call on Tuesday.

The mill itself is the oldest continuously running business in Clemmons, having been operated since 1920. For most of that history, the mill was run by the Brewer family after J. Ezra Brewer purchased the mill from Hobson.

The Brewer family ran the mill for 68 years, eventually selling it to Budd Services in 1988. Budd would operate or lease the business until 1994 when the business was donated to High Point University. In 1998 The Clemmons Milling Company was sold to LTD Farm and Garden from King, who continue to operate a current agricultural and garden supply store out of the mill.

Mayor Mike Rogers said on Tuesday that he shops at the store, preferring a local business to large national chain stores, and thinks about how for the people that founded the community, the work the mill did “Was not an easy job. Back in that day we didn’t have the luxury of air conditioners and top-notch machinery to handle these things.”

The marker program is relatively new in Clemmons, with the Clemmons Mill being one of the first that the village has purchased and placed itself. Moore said that the village has a list of historic properties throughout the community that are under consideration, and he plans to bring that list before the Village Council at a meeting in July for recommendations on the next marker.

“Today’s unveiling isn’t just about a single building; it’s about recognizing the rich tapestry of our history. The Clemmons Village Council is deeply committed to preserving and highlighting the significant structures and stories that have shaped our growth and development,” said Rogers during the unveiling. “We understand that our past informs our present and guides our future.

By dedicating this historic marker, we are not only honoring the legacy of the Clemmons Mill and those who operated it, but we are also ensuring that future generations will understand and appreciate the roots of our village. It is a testament to the hard work, ingenuity, and resilience of those who came before us.”

The markers themselves are hand-cast by an out-of-state company, said Moore, so it takes a while for them to be ordered, made and then delivered. Historic locales that are on the list include the former Clemmons School, now the Historic Broyhill Office Suites; the Clemmons Moravian Church; the Clemmons Civic Club and several historic homes throughout the village.

“We really look forward to putting up more markers. It’s something the council has been proud of and it’s encouraging that this is something the village takes pride in and the council is looking to continue,” said Moore.