Friday, September 25, 2020

The Old Mill @ T. R. Pugh Memorial Park in North Little Rock, Arkansas

Atlas Obscura is a great resource for travelers, the adventurous, the curious... Eric found an article on The Old Mill in T. R. Pugh Memorial Park in North Little Rock.


Commissioned by local developer, Justin Matthews, this old water-powered Mill is a replica of the typical gristmill in use in Arkansas in the 1800s.  The grinding stones are from mills dating back two centuries.  Matthews planned a park featuring The Old Mill to attract development in the Lakewood section of North Little Rock.


The "wooden" railings are the work of Senor Dionicio Rodriguez.  The weathered look requires close inspection.  He was very secretive about his work and didn't leave written plans or mixture formulas for others to recreate his work.  


T. R. Pugh Memorial Park was dedicated in 1993.  This popular outdoor spot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.


This is a carefully crafted and managed natural scene.  

I'm not surprised that The Old Mill was used in a Hollywood film.  Director David O. Selznick chose to use The Old Mill in the opening credits of Gone With The Wind.   Here's the YouTube Link for the beginning of the film.  The Old Mill appears at 1 minute 31 seconds.


A pic to remember this unique landmark and its
place in Hollywood History.

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