A bustling village once surrounded these falls. Taking advantage of the waterpower, George Wallace built a sawmill here in 1814. Over the next decade, the Village of Brandywine added a whiskey distillery, grist mill, woolen mill, and a dozen houses. In 1824, Wallace transferred his property to his sons who then formed the Wallace Brothers Company. Business thrived for the next 30 years.
Pictured here is a historic photograph of the grist mill at Brandywine Falls. Notice the remains of the diversion dam above the falls. That dam diverted water to power the mill.