Villines Mill, also known as Boxley Mill or Whiteley Mill, was originally built circa 1840 by Abner Casey in the Buffalo River valley, in what is now Buffalo National River

Buffalo National River

The Buffalo River, located in northern Arkansas, was the first National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River is slightly more than in length, with the lower flowing within the boundaries of an area managed by the National Park Service, where it is designated the '. The...

. After becoming known as Whiteley Mill, the mill was at the center of a Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 skirmish known as the "Battle of Whiteley's Mill. The mill was rebuilt in 1870 and replaced with a larger mill, becoming known as Villines Mill after the new owner. After three generations of Villines, the mill closed in the 1960s. The mill is included in the Big Buffalo Valley Historic District

Big Buffalo Valley Historic District

The Big Buffalo Valley Historic District, also known as the Boxley Valley Historic District, is notable as a cultural landscape in Buffalo National River. It comprises the Boxley Valley in northern Arkansas, near the town of Boxley. The valley includes a number of family-operated farms, primarily...

.