29 Apr 2026 North Little Rock’s Old Mill to celebrate 50 years
NORTH LITTLE ROCK – On Saturday, May 16, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Old Mill will celebrate being a North Little Rock Park for fifty years and party like it’s 1976! Sponsored by Friends of the Old Mill, the City of North Little Rock, North Little Rock Tourism, and the Old Mill Master Gardeners, the public is invited to a party at the Old Mill (T. R. Pugh Memorial Park, 3800 Lakeshore Drive, North Little Rock). Visitors can expect refreshments, giveaways, children’s activities, tours and talks throughout the afternoon. They will have a chance to learn what the Old Mill was like in 1976 and how it has improved in the fifty years since then. Visitors are encouraged to dress in 1976-era clothes. Donations to Friends of the Old Mill, a non-profit supporting the Old Mill, will be accepted and appreciated.
Around 2 p.m., North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick, along with other city officials, will speak and assist with a tree planting in memory of the late Sandra Taylor Smith, former director of the North Little Rock History Commission and founding member of Friends of the Old Mill. Other talks that afternoon will address North Little Rock in the 1970s, obscure facts about the Old Mill, how and why it became a city park, the artwork of Dionicio Rodriguez at the Old Mill and the gardens at the Old Mill. North Little Tourism will sell Old Mill items, and a portion of the proceeds will go to Friends of the Old Mill for improvements to the park.
Street parking is available near the park, and additional parking, with a shuttle, is available at the Lakewood Property Owners Association park at 4500 Lakeshore Dr. Signs will direct visitors.
About the Old Mill:
Dedicated on August 6, 1933, as a historic re-creation of an early 1830s water-powered grist mill, the Old Mill was conceived by Park Hill and Lakewood subdivision developer Justin Matthews and built as a tribute to Arkansas pioneers. It is most famous for being in the opening credits of the classic movie “Gone With the Wind” and is believed to be the last standing structure from the film. It features numerous faux bois (“fake wood”) concrete sculptures by Señor Dionicio Rodriguez. After falling into disrepair in the 1960s, General Properties, Inc. (the former Justin Matthews Company), the City of North Little Rock, and several civic groups united to rehabilitate and preserve the Old Mill, which was recognized even then as a unique North Little Rock landmark. However, in a May 20, 1976, article, the local North Little Rock newspaper, The Times, wrote: “The City Council may take action Monday night that could result in the historic Old Mill facility in Lakewood finally being properly maintained.
Through the years, the Old Mill has at times taken on a very unkept appearance due to litterbugs, vandals and simple lack of maintenance. The site is owned by General Properties, Inc. (formerly the Matthews Company) and is leased to the Lakewood Property Owners Association. The LPOA, however, does not have the funds to properly maintain the mill.” The Old Mill was deeded to the City on May 24, 1976. The Times noted in an article on June 17, 1976:
“Due to a lack of funds, the mill has been allowed to fall on hard times and has lost much of the beauty and splendor which it once possessed. However, the mill has now found a new benefactor and a full-scale campaign is underway to restore it to its previous condition.” The City then undertook several projects over the next decade to clear undergrowth, repair the mill wheel and mill roof, clean up the water, update the water lines, plant flowers and native ferns, build a fence around the park, and add a maintenance shed, trash containers and picnic tables. In 1986, the Old Mill, with its large collection of the artwork of Rodriguez, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Site #86003585).
Although improvements have continued at the Old Mill, much of the required work goes beyond city resources. Friends of the Old Mill, a section 501(c)(3) charity, raises money to help pay for required and desired features and maintenance above what the city can afford. The Pulaski County Master Gardeners have maintained the flower beds and flora around the park since 1991. The park is free and open daily to the public, so the exact number of visitors has not been tracked. However, the City estimates that the Old Mill has 100,000 annual visitors from around the globe and also hosts more than 200 weddings each year. It is a frequent backdrop for school, engagement, wedding, quinceañera, family, prom, and Christmas card pictures. Guides are available for tours, field trips, or other special events through North Little Rock Tourism at 501.758.1424 or by emailing [email protected].
In July 2019, the Old Mill entered the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame, for more than five years of consecutive Certificates of Excellence. The Old Mill was also voted #2 Best Arkansas Attraction in the 2018 USA Today’s 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards and won a TripSavvy Editors’ Choice Award. It is designated as a “People’s Garden” by the US Department of Agriculture and as a Monarch Waystation by Monarch Watch. For more information, visit The Old Mill’s website nlr.ar.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/parks/old-mill/ or Facebook page facebook.com/theoldmillnlr or Friends of the Old Mill’s website nlr.ar.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/parks/old-mill/friends-of-the-old-mill/.
