It’s just a beautiful, peaceful place. Everyone loves it when they come. There’s a little something for everybody.
Nestled amid 69 acres of natural beauty is a manmade waterfall that weaves the story of a once-burgeoning grist mill with the fabric of Mother Nature’s bounty known as Dunn’s Falls, just a stone’s throw from Meridian.
Dunn’s Falls is part of the Pat Harrison Waterway District, which operates nine parks in southeast Mississippi.
“People have always come and enjoyed the waterfall,” park caretaker Lisa Brownlee said in a recent interview. “Mr. Dunn lived here from 1854 to 1904, when he passed away.”
Adjacent to the waterfall is a water wheel that once powered the grist mill, founded in 1854 by Irish immigrant and entrepreneur John Dunn.
“He did reroute two streams coming off the park and into his grist mill,” Brownlee said. “The water wheel rusted out a while back, but they are restoring it.”
It’s just a beautiful, peaceful place. Everyone loves it when they come. There’s a little something for everybody.
According to VisitMeridian officials, the mill was commandeered by the Confederacy in 1860 and was used to make blankets, hats, and knives. It is believed that one apprentice at the facility was John B. Stetson, the organization said. Stetson later made a name for himself with his high-quality cowboy hats. Records of his employment at the mill can be found in the Lauderdale County Courthouse in Meridian.
In addition to the mill operations, the facility at various times served as a distillery, a blacksmith shop and a place for carding wool used to produce clothing for soldiers.
The original mill is long gone, but a similar facility, the former Carroll-Richardson Grist Mill, built in 1857, now sits in its place. The newer mill was relocated to the Mississippi park from Cave Springs, Georgia.
“Pat Harrison and the state took it over and built this park that we have now in 1987, the year it opened,” Brownlee said.
While the mill itself is no longer in operation, visitors can see the machinery and see how the mill would have operated. The 65-foot waterfall was created by Dunn and still provides a blend of manmade and natural beauty.
“The mill is more like a museum than an actual functioning mill,” Brownlee said. “It’s just a representative. You can walk around in the mill. There are two floors that still have the old artifacts, and you can look around in there.”
The millhouse “provides visitors with a rare glimpse into 19th-century milling and daily life,” according to VisitMeridian officials.
A nearby pond was used to collect water to power the mill. Today, the pond is stocked with catfish, where fishing enthusiasts of all ages can try their hand at the sport. Picnic tables and playgrounds dot the surrounding green spaces, and nature trails run throughout the park for hiking or leisurely walks in the woods. The park is home to the bluff oak, typically found along riverbanks and bluffs in the area.
“We do have one of the largest,” Brownlee said.
Alongside the falls is a wooden staircase, which visitors can use to descend to the Chunky River below for an up-close view and more fishing opportunities. Boaters also can use the facility for recreational activities.
Dunn’s Falls also offers primitive camping sites and a rental cabin for overnight stays.
“It’s just a beautiful, peaceful place,” Brownlee said. “Everyone loves it when they come. There’s a little something
for everybody.”
Brownlee and her husband Terry have been caretakers at Dunn’s Falls for about four years. The couple lives on site, so they are at the facility year-round.
“We love the peaceful nature of it — just nature in general,” Lisa Brownlee said. “It’s just lovely out here.”
