This sepia-toned, nineteenth-century photograph shows a large wooden water wheel attached to the side of a rustic, two-story gabled building. The building is constructed of vertical wooden planks and sits on a rocky, uneven slope next to a shallow, rocky stream bed in the foreground. The massive water wheel is positioned on the left side of the structure, partially obscured by a wooden flume or support framework that extends from the hillside. The surrounding terrain is rugged and sparsely vegetated with scrub and a few trees, while a steep, rocky bank rises behind the mill. The photograph has rounded top corners and is mounted on a light-colored card. Along the left edge, a vertical "KODAK GRAY SCALE" strip and a ruler are visible for scale and color reference. At the top center of the image, the words "Mariposa Creek" are written in a small, faint, handwritten script.