The Work of Mexican Artist and Sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez:
All of the sculptures inside and outside the Old Mill were created by Señor Rodriguez during the Old Mill’s construction from 1931 to 1933 and are made of reinforced concrete. Forms for the sculptures were constructed of reinforcing bars, wire mesh, rubble, and screen. All of the reinforcements were tied with wires rather than welded. A combination of steel and copper was used because the steel’s strength was needed to support the weight of the wet concrete. However, since Rodriguez was concerned that the steel would rust and deteriorate, copper was also used. The copper will endure for thousands of years. Assistants would apply rough coats of concrete over the reinforcements. Then, the rough concrete was allowed to dry before Rodriguez himself applied the surface coat of rich, neat cement (pure Portland cement) and sculpted it. Rodriguez used a caustic bonding agent to ensure the layers of cement bonded firmly. The only other material used was the tints he created himself from mineral salts, ores, saltpeter, lamp black, and locally available dyes, which gave the sculptures the appearance of wood. Most of the tinting is gone, and it would be technically- and cost-prohibitive to try to replicate it.
Interesting facts about some of the Rodriguez sculptures:
Large twisted branches footbridge: The sculpture is so well detailed that you can tell the fallen tree was a black locust because its bark looks exactly like that of a live black locust. Some of the limbs have bark showing they were alive when the bridge was “built,” and some of them don’t have bark, indicating they were dead and decaying when the bridge was “built.”
Gutters and a cistern (barrel) behind the mill building: These are the only known pieces that Rodriguez created in this style.
Watering trough behind the mill building: The Roman numeral date on the trough is MDCCCXXXII (1832), same as on the cornerstone on the front of the mill building.
Footbridge below the mill building: The bridge was made to resemble two persimmons bent over and tied down to form the handrails. The steps on the east side appear to be hewn from a tree fork that allowed the steps to fit in the curve of a creek without having to spend additional effort hacking out additional steps, while the upright posts on the far-left corner show the bark running around the upright, clearly indicating that it was from a cherry tree.
Inside the Mill: Note the detail in all of Rodriquez’s work. The smooth handrails were carved to appear as if they had been in use for years. There are insect holes in the wood. The stubs sticking out of the walls were where the miller and his customers might have hung their hats or coats. The cupboard under the stairs is where the miller might have kept his belongings. The hopper on the first floor (which is also concrete) was damaged years ago and reconstructed in 2024 by Carlos Cortés (the great nephew of Dionicio Rodriguez) of Studio Cortés (along with other restoration work).
The waterwheel: The waterwheel, its supporting blocks, and the water flume were designed by architect Frank Carmean and constructed by Rodriguez. Except for the axle and bearings, the entire wheel is made of concrete that has been treated to resemble wood. The wheel itself is 10,000 pounds of concrete that turns just from the weight of the small amount of water flowing over it.
Large Arched Bridge (south end of park): We don’t know the story behind the large, arched footbridge. Its twists and turns incorporate features from trees and cacti as well as caves and grottos.
T. R. Pugh Memorial Park in North Little Rock is one of the most extensive and varied collections of Rodriguez’s work anywhere in the United States. The sculptures of Rodriguez can also be found in nearby Crestwood and Lakewood Parks and on private estates in Garland and Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas.
Señor Rodriguez’s earliest work can be seen at Chapultapec Castle and the President’s Palace in Mexico City. The nomadic Rodriguez worked at various locations throughout the U.S. for more than thirty years, purportedly in Maryland, New Mexico, Washington DC, Alabama, Michigan, Illinois, and Tennessee. Other notable Rodriquez sculptures are located in Castroville, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, Texas; Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suitland, Maryland; Clayton, New Mexico; Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; and Memphis (Memorial Park Cemetery) and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Señor Rodriquez’s work around the country is often maintained by Carlos Cortés of Studio Cortés in San Antonio — Rodriquez’s great-nephew and the son of Señor Rodriquez’s helper, Maximo Cortés.
Other Artwork:
Carved tree trunk left of the amphitheater: Carved on site by North Little Rock artist Lee Halbrook in 2018. Other work by Halbrook appears at the golf course in Burns Park and throughout North Little Rock and the world.
Waterfall feature (north side of park): An original feature that fell into disrepair, it was restored in September 2019 but collapsed due to heavy rains in September 2020; it was then restored again in August 2021. Surrounding it are new pollinator flower beds, which have been certified as a Monarch Waystation.