The Old Mill, located at Fairway Ave. & Lakeshore Drive in North Little Rock, is a historic re-creation of an 1880's water-powered grist mill. The mill was seen in the opening scenes of David Selznick's 1937 movie classic "Gone With The Wind", and is believed to be the only remaining structure from the film. Admission to The Old Mill is free, and the hours of operation are from sunrise to sunset.
The Old Mill, also known as Pugh's Mill, was built in 1933 by Justin Matthews as a replica of an old-water-powered grist mill. The mill was designed to appear as if it belonged in Arkansas and had been here since the 1800s. It is made largely from tinted concrete work over steel and copper rods made to represent wood, iron or stone, and features sculptures by Mexican artist Senor Dionicio Rodriguez.
The Old Mill was nationally recognized in 1986 by being placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was also presented with the Greater Little Rock Historic Preservation Award by the Quapaw Quarter Association.
The grist mill on the first floor dates back to 1828, and some mill rocks on the second floor came from the plantation of Tom Knoble, the grandfather of Tom Pugh, in whose honor the Mill is dedicated. There are also two original milestones from a road laid out more than 150 years ago by Jefferson Davis. Along this road, the Cherokee and Choctaw Indians traveled from the present town of Dardanelle into the Indian territory, now Oklahoma. In addition three sections of a wrought iron shaft were cut from the stern wheel of a passenger steamboat, which traveled the Arkansas River in the 1800's, are used in the mill.
The park is decorated with sculptures of toadstools, tree stumps, and several ornate bridges. Senor Dionico Rodriguez, a sculptor and artist from Mexico City, was responsible for all the details of each piece of concrete work made to represent wood, iron or stone, as well as the designing of the foot bridges and rustic seats. During the summer of 1991, Rodriguez's work at the Old Mill was renovated by the grandson of the original artist, Carlos Cortes
The Old Mill is often used for many outdoor activities including picnicking, relaxing, and even weddings or photo shoots. It is not unheard of for people to choose the Old Mill as a place to say their nuptials and many schools around North Little Rock have their school photos taken there.
A lake stretches into the Lakewood neighborhood below the Old Mill. The architect for the mill and park was Frank Carmean, the artist was Senor Dionicio Rodriguez, and the builder was the Justin Matthews Company.
The Old Mill Park was originally christened the T. R. Pugh Memorial Mill in honor of Thomas R. Pugh, of Portland, Arkansas, a staunch friend and benefactor of Matthews. The Old Mill was given to the City of North Little Rock as a gift by the former Justin Matthews Company on May 24, 1976. Maintained and landscaped by the Pulaski County Master Gardeners and North Little Rock Parks & Recreation, the park includes a variety of tree species including Eastern Redbud, Black Locust, Post Oak, Northern Red Oak, White Oak, and Shortleaf Pine.
Authentic reproduction of an old water-powered grist mill; appears in the opening scene of the classic movie, "Gone with the Wind," tour guides available by appointment; popular for outdoor weddings
When did it suddenly become cool to hate everything? It's a growing problem, especially in the entertainment world, and no one benefits from an increasingly hard to please, pessimistic audience.
Daily Literature Deviations is a group that is dedicated to bringing literature to the forefront of the deviantArt community. We attempt to accomplish this by daily featuring Literature artists from around the community that deserve the recognition, but are not getting it. Each day we will feature 5 deviations from the Literature categories in a News Article.
In order to support the artists that we feature, we ask that you the news article as well as check out the individual pieces. We understand that each day you may not be able to check out each and every one of the pieces, everyone has their own things going on. We just ask that you make an attempt to help support the growing Literature community.
^Ikue has been a devious member of our community for almost 7 years and in this time he has proven to be nothing short of dedicated and devoted. Whilst volunteering his time over the last 22 months as a Gallery Moderator within the Community Relations Team, Chris has brought the Vector gallery and many vector artists directly into the spotlight. ^Ikue's commitment to the community is evident in everything he touches and you can always find him reaching out to others with an encouraging word. Chris is a natural leader with a vibrant and empathic personality, and is a role model for deviants everywhere. It's ev... Read More
Comments