Cedar Hill Mill sits on a location that has held a mill since 1847. The current mill was constructed by the Radeacker family.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of this mill is its precarious setting atop a riverbank, below a large dam that funneled water into the mill.
The dam is now broken, probably intentionally after the closing of the mill, and the water comes crashing through the hole, creating a dramatic scene.
My family and I will never forget, some twenty-five years ago, watching some drunk people in an inner-tube ride over the break in the dam, seriously injuring one of them when the inner-tube capsized.
It’s been a while since I made the preservationist blog rounds. So it was serendipity when I load up St. Louis Panina only to find the Cedar Hill Mill! I grew up a couple miles away in the Lake Adelle neighborhood. I’ve taken countless pictures of the mill and the dam. Last time I was by there, there were signs of renovation, so hopefully someone is taking care of it. When I was a kid, it was the “Cedar Hill Feed Mill”, a farm supply store operated out of the other side of the building. Nice to see Cedar Hill get some blogger love <3
Hi! I grew up at Lake Adelle too. My name is George Capps. What schools did you attend?
Cheers…
gc9268@gmail.com
I grew up on Lake Adelle, also. Deb Cadwallader. Parents name. McKenzie.
Uh-oh, why do I get the feeling that the current siding is one of the asbestos/cement varieties?
This Mill is not abandoned. It is owned by someone.
This mill is referenced at Dogwood Canyon in Lampe Missouri as one of the Ozark mills. They have pictures of this mill there. I grew up in House Springs Missouri and took all of this for granted. It would be so amazing if someone kept the history alive and made it into a restaurant or museum or something to bring in some income for someone while keeping the history.
I remember the Mill… and Cedar Hill Hotel on the hill across from the Telephone Company. My Grandpa Leslie Middleton had a weekend house built in Lake Adele..guessing 1958 or so.. we’d go down on weekends.. ride in Grandpa’s old green Cadillac over to the Hotel for dinner.. we talked to Lennie and Berniece and enjoyed the homemade bread and pie. We kids loved the big stuffed animals in lobby!! And were curious about the mysterious staircase that were off limits. Learned to swim with the big black inner tube in Lake Adele!
Laura, my father was trying to remember where the old Cedar Hill hotel was in Cedar Hill. He used to work for Southwestern Bell down there and talks of swimming on the river and staying at the hotel. He only remembered that the hotel was at the top of the hill. We drove around and he could not remember where. Do you have knowledge of the address where it was and a possible photo??