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Ketner’s Mill in Marion County is up for sale

Staff photo / Visitors at the Ketner's Mill Country Fair take a break from looking at booths at the fair in 2018 in Whitwell, Tenn. Over 150 artisans are at the event each year.
Staff photo / Visitors at the Ketner's Mill Country Fair take a break from looking at booths at the fair in 2018 in Whitwell, Tenn. Over 150 artisans are at the event each year. Staff photo / Visitors at the Ketner's Mill Country Fair take a break from looking at booths at the fair in 2018 in Whitwell, Tenn. Over 150 artisans are at the event each year.

By Dave Flessner 4 min read

Ketner’s Mill in Marion County, one of the oldest operating water-powered mills in the region, is up for sale.

The mill on the Sequatchie River, parts of which date back more than a century and a half, is being offered along with 125 acres of surrounding farmland for $2.5 million.

Frank McDonald Jr., the sole remaining owner of the family-owned mill and farm near Whitwell, said at age 72 he is eager to find a buyer for the historic property. McDonald said he hopes any buyer will sustain the the mill and the popular fall festival at Ketner’s Mill, which draws more than 12,000 visitors a year.

“I think the time has come,” McDonald said in a telephone interview Thursday. “My children are not interested in taking this on, so I hope we can find a buyer interested in keeping the mill going.”

Henry Glascock, the real estate agent listing the property, said the mill and horse farm in the scenic Sequatchie Valley is 30 minutes from Chattanooga and 15 minutes from Interstate 24.