Weldon's Mill is one of the most picturesque sites in Vance County, NC and it has been nominated for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It is an 18th century gristmill which consists of a two story structure resting on a high stone foundation with the overshot wheel and sluice still in place. The original dam for the mill was an old board dam which was built by the Johnson family in the 1700's. It is believed that the Johnson family were the original owners of the property.

 The mill changed hands many times until it was bought by a Mr. Amos who was originally from Canada. At one time the mill was known as Amos' Mill.

 The mill was then owned by Mr. O. W. Weldon and retains that name today.

 Original interior equipment remains.  Although history of the building is incomplete, pegs, hand fashioned nails, broad hand-planed floor boards, and other interior features including ancient machinery indicate the mill is over two hundred years old.  Until 1917, there was a companion mill on the other side of the creek.  The power from one dam was transferred to the second mill by a huge belt stretching across the stream.  When heavy rains breached the dam, that mill was lost; however, repair crews recovered the stones which were installed in the remaining building.  Remnants of the destroyed mill are still visible.  The mill last operated in 1964.

 The store used to be in one end of the mill.  In fact, that end of the mill contains a thick walled ice room which was used to store perishable foods.  Ice was cut from the pond in the winter.  The present day store was built in the 1930's.  Rock had to be blasted to form a level base for the building.  Millers lived in the apartment above the store before a house was built behind the store for them.  The store building has been used as a gas station/grocery store, auction house, and junk store / shed construction area before housing the Bees' Knees Country Store. 

 We worked on the building the store is now located in for a year restoring it to a useable condition. When we first arrived in December, there was no heat, no insulation, and many of the windows were broken.  We partitioned off an area with a canvas tarp and heated that area with a portable propane heater. Between Christmas and Thanksgiving we worked on the downstairs part of the store.  Every step forward seemed to take us two steps backward.  We had to repair rot, termite damage, cracks in the floor and walls, paint inside and out, and get everything up to code. 

 We selected, purchased, and displayed products.  I took classes on running a small business.  Marie took painting classes and painted the store sign with our business name, The Bees' Knees.  That expression came from Marie's mother who would often say, "Isn't that just the bees' knees," meaning isn't that something special or perfect.  Marie and I both love to read and for years we kept all the books we purchased.  Marie put all those books in the store along with our locally produced honey, candles, cards, soaps, lotions, toys, antiques, drinks, snacks, and gifts made by local artisans.