When Jesse Blackard built this frame mill on the Dan River, he chose two modern turbines that could run three sets of millstones, one each for corn, rye, and buckwheat, rather than the standard overshot mill. As well as grinding, Blackard's mill, then consisting of the three-story, gable-end section and the two-story, shed-roof section on its left, also made a variety of products that he sold to small stores in the region. In the two-story section, he also operated a planer and a box factory. In 1921, W. E. Cockram purchased the mill and in the 1930s built an electric generator house at the dam to supply electricity for twelve households. The two-story section on the far left of the mill was added in 1964, and some interior modifications were made to the older sections. A one-story, shed-roof porch runs down the long front facade and around the sides. In its day the mill was technologically innovative.