Renovations underway at North Little Rock’s Old Mill by family member of original sculptor
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Old Mill in North Little Rock is receiving a facelift, but it’s not just any surgeon doing the work.
More than 90 years ago, the place most known for being in the opening credits of “Gone with the Wind,” was created.
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The original sculpting work was done by a family member of the person who is now restoring it back to its former glory.
It’s a family affair for Carlos Cortes. For generations, his family has sculpted concrete and now he’s continuing the family legacy at the Old Mill.
“A lot of things have been lost in time, but they can be recreated,” Cortes said.
What remains the same decade after decade is the family behind every brush stroke and sculpture.
“All the tree forms, the benches, the trellis, the fallen tree trellis,” Cortes said, “All that is all his work, and a lot of it comes out of his imagination.”
Carlos Cortes’ great uncle, Dionico Rodriguez, was the original sculptor for all of the faux wood and more. Now Cortes is restoring what his great uncle created.
“It’s preserving the legacy of the work, and I feel is very important,” Cortes said.
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When looking for someone to carve a new path forward for the mill, Valerie Boyce, president of Friends of the Old Mill, and Deeana Montgomery, vice president, thought who better than to keep it in the family?
“We had to find someone to do this repair because it is on the historic register, not anyone can touch these structures,” Montgomery said.
They both said this has been a restoration in the works for about three years.
“The restoration has to also be detailed enough to keep that same sense there,” Boyce said.
Old age, vandalism and more caused damage to the hopper and shoot for the mill. Their organization, the City of North Little Rock, Studio Cortes and more teamed up to keep the mill turning.
“It was in the opening credits of ‘Gone with the Wind’, and supposedly, reportedly, it’s the only existing structure at this time,” Montgomery said.
Cortes said this family tradition is one he hopes will never die.
“That’s one thing I’ve always wanted to do, is continue to do it the same way that they did it, that’s the way to honor them and also to teach the next generation,” Cortes said.
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Cortes’ two sons were with him this week at the restoration. He said they’ll be finishing up the work tomorrow.
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