Just North of Interstate 85 off route 211 there is a sharp point to Gwinnett’s Shape. It wasn’t always so. When the county was created in 1818 and fully surveyed in 1819 the line ran in a more southward direction. All that changed when Barrow County was created. The legislature stated it as such…

“Beginning at a point amid stream where the Mulberry River crosses the Hall County line joining Jackson County; thence following the line between Hall and Jackson Counties to the corner of Hall, Gwinnett and Jackson Counties; thence in a direct line to the center of the Appalachia River at Freeman's mill; thence following the middle of the current of said Appalachia River down to the line of Walton and Oconee Counties; …”

The “Corner of Hall, Jackson and Gwinnett” is the very tip of the point. On the below picture you can see it in the red circle. From there you have to do a little research. It goes to Freeman’s Mill on the Apalachee River. Gwinnett has a very nice Freeman’s mill Park, but its in Harbins on the Alcovy river. That mill was originally known as The Lovelace Mill so it is not the same one. But, since we know that the center of the Apalachee is the next portion of the line the search is narrowed. I’ve circle the area of interest in blue on the picture.

So, now to focus on Freeman’s Mill on the Apalachee. Using the current Gwinnett GIS maps the corner falls into Land Lot 336. In 1819 when Gwinnett was surveyed, the Apalachee River was the boundary line with Jackson County so only the land west and south of the river needed surveying since the East side was already part of the State of Georgia. Now, a little info from the archives provides the next clue. The below picture is from Surveyor Luckie’s official notes. He used “Hill’s Mill” as a reference when marking out the lot. Also, the lot was a partial lot and could not be issued via the lottery so it was purchased by Joshua Hill of Gwinnett County.

So we have the location, and a mill, but the name is off. Next stop, official records. In 1840, Joshua Hill sold the rights to the land, Mill, and mill pond to Lovick Betts. Lovick Betts then sold the land to Dr. SH Freeman. The mill then remained the Freeman family for many years. Dr. Freeman’s father makes mention of it in his pension application for service in the war of 1812. In 1887, Dr. Freeman sold a piece of the land to the railroad when it began to build through the area. A road from near city hall in Dacula leads you to the site, its name, “Old Freeman’s Mill Road.” So an old mill dam makes one of the unique turns that shape Gwinnett County.

There are a few more pictures below, but that’s the story for one of Gwinnett County’s corners.

Dr. Freeman sold a strip of land to the GNRR for their railline through the area. CSX now operates the route.

This railroad real estate map shows land lot 336. The corner of Barrow and Gwinnett would be between the steel highway bridge and the railroad tracks.

William Crawford mentions a fight or skirmish, at Hills Mill on the Apalachee during the War of 1812.

The rise across the river are the remains of the Mill Dam. The center of the Apalachee is one of Gwinnett’s Corners.

Vincent Lockhart, in this letter of endorsement, mentions vising William Freeman as he keeps his son’s mill.