RC&D Grant Aids Historic Grist Mill Restoration

the Old Cordova Grist Mill in Vadito, New Mexico

 Fitting in nicely with the mission of the Northern Rio Grande Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council --  to foster social and economic development for rural areas -- the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills recently worked with the RC&D to repair and restore the Old Cordova Grist Mill in Vadito, New Mexico.

The restoration project required that the mill be completely dismantled to replace rotten beams and to pour new concrete footings. A new water wheel, identical to the original which had completely deteriorated, was also built.

Visit the NRCS New Mexico Web site.

The Old Cordova mill was built about 100 years ago by Acorcinio Cordova to produce coarse feed for animals and flour for the people in the region. Cordova cut and hauled the logs to build the mill from the nearby mountains and fashioned the millstones in Dixon and then hauled them 20 miles by horse cart to the mill site.

Preservation of this small handmade grist mill contributes not only to the economic history of northern New Mexico, but also provides a cultural asset for the community of Vadito and surrounding area.
Your contact is David Manzanares, NRCS Northern Rio Grande RC&D Coordinator, at 505-753-6412, or david.manzanares@nm.usda.gov.