Old Mill - City of North Little Rock

A highlight for visitors traveling in Arkansas is the Old Mill, a favorite attraction that provides a glimpse of history, beautiful gardens and artwork, and a very beautiful photographic opportunity. (Don’t forget to bring your camera!) The Old Mill is located in the T.R. Pugh Memorial Park, at the corner of Fairway Avenue and Lakeshore Drive in North Little Rock (map).

A historic re-creation of an early 1830s water-powered grist mill, the Old Mill was built as a tribute to Arkansas pioneers. It is in the opening scenes of the classic movie “Gone With The Wind” and is believed to be the last standing structure from the film. It features faux bois (“fake wood”) concrete sculptures by Señor Dionicio Rodriguez and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Site #86003585). The Old Mill is maintained by the North Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department, the Pulaski County Master Gardeners, and the non-profit Friends of the Old Mill, Inc.

Hours of Operation: 8:00 am until thirty (30) minutes after sunset (NO pets allowed)

Guided tours, which last approximately 30 minutes, are available for groups of 25 or more people who are lodging overnight in a North Little Rock hotel or RV park, and with advance tour reservations. These tours are conducted by trained volunteers and can be booked by calling 501-758-1424 or emailing info@northlittlerock.org.

Virtual tours on our YouTube Channel.

The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program’s monthly Sandwiching in History program produced a video for this event, which is available on their Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

Weddings: For more information or to book a wedding, call the North Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department at 501-791-8537. Click for area and Guidelines for having a wedding at the Old Mill.

Teacher Resources: Scavenger Hunt – pdf /// Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet – pdf

Quick Facts:

image of the grist mill — The grist mill on the first floor came from the Cagle family of Pope County and dates back to 1828.

image of the cornerstone millstone — Two mill rocks and the building’s cornerstone are from the plantation of the grandfather of Tom Pugh, for whom the park is named.

image of the large mill rock — The larger mill rock on the first floor bears “picking” (deepening of furrows on the face to increase their grinding capacity) and dates to 1823 and 1840.

image of millstone #1 — Two milestones were moved here from an 1830s military period, along which the Cherokee and Choctaw traveled into the Indian Territory, now Oklahoma.

image of wrought iron beside bench — Three sections of a wrought iron shaft were cut from the stern wheel of a passenger steamboat that traveled the Arkansas River in the 1800s.