The Columbian Paper Company mill, located on the banks of the Maury River in Buena Vista, serves as a rare, well-preserved example of a historic complex associated with paper production, one of the city’s leading industries from the late 19th to mid-20th century. Mill-related construction began under the Buena Vista Paper Manufacturing Company about 1890, but most of the mill dates to the Columbian Paper Company period, which began in 1892 and involved a decades-long expansion program. The mill was used to make paper until 1954 when it was acquired by Bonded Fibers (Bontex) and converted to other uses. The five-acre nominated area encompasses two buildings: the main mill building, a large cumulative agglomeration of mostly rectangular brick wings; and a smaller chip house. Brick pier-wall construction with decorative corbelling and stone or poured concrete foundations are typical of the older sections of the mill. A branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad formerly passed through the property, accompanied by a siding. The Columbian Paper Company mill incorporates a ca. 1860 stone canal lock into its foundation.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Nomination Form
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia
Copyright © 2023. All Rights Reserved | Website by CURE