Robert Jemison, Jr., known as the Father of Mountain Brook, was a major Birmingham real estate developer whose work included Mountain Brook Estates, Mountain Brook Club, Mountain Brook Village, The Old Mill, Mountain Brook Grammar School, Mountain Brook Riding Academy, Fairfield, Bush Hills, Ensley Highlands, Forest Park, Glen Iris, the original Tutwiler Hotel, Ridgely Apartments, Empire Building, Jemison-Seibels Building, Stallings Building, Newberry Building, Porter Clothing Co. Building, Elmwood Cemetery, and Redmont Gardens Apartments, and he also handled site acquisition for the Country Club of Birmingham, City (Boutwell) Auditorium, Jefferson County Courthouse, and Ramsay High School. On this site, John Perryman operated a grist mill from 1867 until 1887 that ground corn grown by local farmers. The present Old Mill was built in 1927 by Robert Jemison, Jr. as an attraction for Mountain Brook Estates. William H. Kessler designed the building, and contractor Lewis Ford employed Tom Cox and George Eastis in its construction. Under Miss Frances Bomer's management, The Old Mill served breakfast, afternoon tea, and dinner, with meals ranging from 50 cents to $1.75, and local residents used it as a rest stop during horseback rides. Perryman's original millstone was unearthed and used in the stone fireplace of the current building. After the tearoom closed, The Old Mill was used as a private dwelling and for more than 50 years was the home of William B. O’Neal. The mill image became the official logo of the City of Mountain Brook.