Reporting by Arvada Press. Photo by the Arvada Historical Society.

Arvada (CO) Historical Society Founder Lois Lindstrom had big plans for the city’s historic preservation efforts, and nearly 50 years after Lindstrom successfully got the Arvada Flour Mill placed on the National Register of Historic Places, some of those plans are still working their way into fruition.

Lindstrom’s vision for the mill — which was built in 1926 by E.E. Benjamin and quickly became a staple of the budding community in its nascent years with its sale of “Arva-Pride Flour” — centered around turning the property into a permanent reminder of the city’s agricultural roots.

After the mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, the Arvada Historical Society took up ownership of the property in 1977. The society then organized a three-year community clean-up effort to restore and transform the mill into the museum, with Lindstrom donating audio tour equipment to the projects. That work was completed in 1980.

Another major restoration was completed in 2011, but further efforts to continue restoring the mill hit a snag in the late 2010’s with the construction of the Olde Town RTD station, the COVID-19 pandemic and the retirement of many longtime volunteers.

Mill efforts lay dormant for a few years until the involvement of Society Volunteer Karen Miller in the project, which she joined in on in 2022. Miller’s efforts began with opening the mill to the public for regular hours, special events, and tours — school and public ones alike — and have moved onto creating a master plan for the future of the historic building.

Miller has helped to form a committee of experts to draft the master plan. The group includes Historical Architecture Expert Deborah Andrews, who chairs the committee, as well as longtime Historical Society contributors Cynthia Shaw and Steve Byers.

“The plan encompasses, among other things, goals, use of the site, a business plan, a preservation plan, a financial plan and — most importantly — the vision for the mill,” Miller said.

One of the early goals of the committee is to plant winter wheat at the property to harken back to its agricultural roots. Byers, who has experience with farming, is leading the charge on that front and using the crop as an opportunity to educate folks about pieces of historical farm equipment on the site.

If all goes well, the wheat will be harvested next summer, Miller said.

Miller said one difficulty in crafting the master plan is accounting for the refurbishing restrictions allowed under the National Register for Historic Places’ rules, which stipulate that buildings must be left largely unmodified.

“The mill is on the National Register so changes to the exterior cannot be accommodated to provide a better flow of entering and exiting the mill,” Miller said. “This presents challenges and the plan needs to fit the property. (The mill) is a community asset. Our goal is for the community to embrace it as the unique and iconic symbol of Arvada’s past that it is.”

The committee has its eyes on April 12, 2026 — the 100th anniversary of the first sack of flour being sold — as a potential celebration and entry to the state’s celebration of the 250/150; the 150th anniversary of Colorado’s statehood and 250th anniversary for the United States.

“Stay tuned,” Miller said.

For now tours of the mill will continue by appointment until spring and summer, when that’ll have more regular hours. Tours are $10 each and include the Lindstrom-penned book “The Old Mill. Tickets can be purchased at Carly’s Boutique.