Hightower Falls is a

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

and

historic site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

in Cedartown,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

History

In 1843, Elias Dorsey Hightower, then 35 years old, built a

cotton gin A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (); a ...

in the foothills of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

beside an waterfall. During this time cotton was becoming the mainstay of the

south South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

’s economy. Hightower then built a three-storey mill at the site, using it to grind wheat and corn for flour and cornmeal. The surrounding land was used to raise sheep by professional

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

herders, who occupied the 2nd and 3rd floors of the mill. Hightower feared for the safety of his mill and his home during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. Troops camped on the mill grounds by the Falls, but left no damage. Hightower then built a dam at the precipice to raise the waterfall several feet. Once this was done, he added a

tannery Tanning may refer to: *Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather *Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin **Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun **Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...

and

sorghum syrup ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many other ...

mill, and raised honey bees. In 1972, Hightower Falls opened to the public. Sightseers would often visit to picnic, tour the ruins of the beautiful grounds and sometimes find a romantic get-a-way spot. There were 120 campsites, 12 cabins, a camp store and a restaurant. All these amenities closed within a two-year period. Hightower Falls remains in ruins today from lack of use. The walls are the only remains of the old mill itself. Since being purchased by its current owners in 1996, the present owner of the Falls realized the significance of its heritage and re-opened it for public use. Today, the Falls are available through private bookings only.

Amenities

Facilities at the Falls, used for private parties and celebrations, include: * Recreational space with picnic tables * 12 cabins accommodating up to 46 people for overnight stays * Walking trails and campsite areas

References

{{coord, 33, 56, 03, N, 85, 08, 39, W, display=title Landforms of Polk County, Georgia Waterfalls of Georgia (U.S. state) Tourist attractions in Polk County, Georgia