North Little Rock Old Mill
Lakeshore Drive & Fairway Avenue

North Little Rock Old Mill

Famous for its cinematic debut in Gone With the Wind, the Old Mill is a replica of grist mills that were so vital to early Arkansans. The photo at the left highlights the work of Mexican sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez; those tree limbs are actually made of a "secret" concrete mix.

Placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1986, the Old Mill is a much favored site for weddings. Over 200 ceremonies were performed in 2004.

Even though the Old Mill, also known as Pugh's Mill, is a replica, it contains many artifacts. The grist mill on the first floor is dated back to 1828, before Arkansas became a state. The second floor contains two original milestones, or mile markers, used on the Trail of Tears. The engineer who placed those stones on the trail over 150 years ago was Jefferson Davis who later became the President of the Confederate States of America.

Steel used in the structure was cut from the stern wheel of a passenger steamboat that travelled the Arkansas River in the 1800's.

Water was diverted through a series of narrow wooden chutes which caused it to speed up and turn the water wheel fast enough to power the grinding stones inside the mill. As the stones turned the grain was poured into a hole in the top stone.

Once the grain was between the stones, it was pulverized into a powder.

Grist mills enabled settlers to get "cooking materials" with much less effort, but they also performed a social function. People would gather at the mill and exchange stories and information with their neighbors. Even today you can find old timers gathering for a game of checkers at the "feed store".

The Old Mill Park opens into the lakes of North Little Rock's Lakewood subdivision. A visit to the Old Mill will very probably reveal persons having a picnic, others just relaxing in the natural calmness of the area, photographers or, even, a wedding.

But, alas, you must take your own corn bread and honey!