The Motley’s Mill Dam and Mill Pond complex was historically a social and recreational amenity for the Pittsylvania County community in which it is located. The mill seat was developed along the Banister River as early as 1785 and was later owned by Col. William Howsen Clark and Clark’s son David H. Clark from 1788 to 1856. A roller mill, the largest in the county, was erected at the site by the Banister Milling Company in 1904-05, operating until 1955. The mill’s power source was the head of water impounded by the massive stone dam, which was augmented or rebuilt with concrete components around 1920. In the early- and mid-20th century, the millpond created by the dam was used for fishing, swimming, recreational boating, and baptisms, making it a social focus of the central Pittsylvania County area.