Homewood Falls was created by geologic activity some 18,000 years ago as immense glaciers covering this region began melting and sent floodwaters down Clarks Run. The creek cut deeply through overlying rock and soil until it reached an especially resistant rock layer called Homewood Sandstone. As the canyon deepened downstream, a ledge formed over which Clarks Run fell. Because the layers beneath the Homewood Sandstone are softer, the falling water undercut the ledge above, causing pieces of the harder rock to break away and creating the waterfall’s sharp lip and dramatic drop. Historically, the falls provided water power for a sawmill here and a nearby stone quarry, and they also served as a scenic place for local recreation. For many years, the waterfall was known as Buttermilk Falls, a name apparently given in 1870 by a group of Civil War veterans and their lady friends who came here on a picnic and toasted the occasion and setting with buttermilk.