The George E. Sperling Grist Mill was built around 1892 in Shelby, NC. In 1991, the mill was moved from its original location to Denton FarmPark in 1992 (the 100th anniversary of the mill). It was then restored to operation. French stones are used to ground the corn into flour. These stones came from Europe to the United States in the bottoms of ships as a way to stabilize the ship’ s weight. Millwrights chiseled the stones and placed bands around them to make them able to ground the corn. You can buy corn meal here at the Park inside the mill that has been ground on these stones. Many say that the cornbread that comes from the mill is mighty good!