The Old Mill at T. R. Pugh Memorial Park
North Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas
Marker Inscription
THE OLD MILL at T. R. Pugh Memorial Park Dedicated August 6, 1933, as Pugh's Memorial Park, the Old Mill is a replica of an abandoned water-powered grist mill that would have been used by Arkansas pioneers in the 1800s. Although the Old Mill never actually operated as a mill, the iron grist mill on the first floor of the building is authentic and dates to 1828. It served the Cagle family of Pope County for three generations. Developer Justin Matthews intended for the Old Mill to appear as the ruins of a bygone era supplanted by modern methods. "Now completely forgotten by the hurrying world around it, the Old Mill quietly weathers the years in the depths of its secluded valley," Matthews said of his vision. A memorial to his friend and business partner, Thomas R. Pugh of Portland, Arkansas, the Old Mill with its wheel turning symbolizes Pugh's tireless energy. Millstones on the second floor of the building came from the Ashley County plantation of Tom Knoble, Pugh's grandfather. Frank Carmean of the Matthews Company designed the park and Bob Massey supervised the project. Matthews commissioned Dionicio Rodríguez, a noted Mexican sculptor, whose faux bois (or fake wood) style was perfected in the details of this remarkable work of art. The Old Mill appeared in the opening credits of the 1939 movie, Gone With the Wind. This marker is a gift to the city of NLR honoring all who have joined hands here
The Story
In the depths of a secluded North Little Rock valley stands one of America's most beloved works of trompe-l'oeil landscape art. Dedicated in 1933 by developer Justin Matthews as a memorial to his business partner Thomas R. Pugh, the Old Mill is a romantic replica of a water-powered grist mill of the sort that served Arkansas pioneers a century earlier — deliberately built to look like a picturesque ruin already forgotten by the modern world. Though the mill itself never ground a single kernel, it houses an authentic 1828 iron grist mill that once served the Cagle family, and its concrete 'timbers,' vines, and rustic bridges are the faux bois (fake-wood) masterwork of Mexican sculptor Dionicio Rodríguez. The site earned lasting fame when it appeared in the opening credits of the 1939 film Gone With the Wind.
Why it matters
The Old Mill is a rare surviving showcase of Dionicio Rodríguez's faux bois artistry and a signature example of the nostalgic, pioneer-romanticizing landscape design that shaped America's parks and suburbs between the world wars.
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Related people
- · Justin Matthews
- · Thomas R. Pugh
- · Dionicio Rodríguez
- · Frank Carmean
- · Bob Massey
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