Cottonwood Paper Mill (commonly known as the Old Mill)
6851 S Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121, USA
History and Architecture
The Cottonwood Paper Mill is closely tied to Utah’s early industrial, cultural, and publishing history.
The Deseret News, the first newspaper in the Mountain West, began publishing in 1850. To support its growing operations and reduce reliance on imported materials, LDS Church leader Brigham Young appointed English papermaker Thomas Howard to establish local paper production. As technology advanced, the Deseret News Company constructed the Cottonwood Paper Mill in 1883 under the direction of Henry Grow, a prominent builder and civil engineer best known for his work on the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
The mill operated for nearly a decade, producing paper and providing local employment. After the completion of the transcontinental railroad brought cheaper paper from outside the region, the mill was sold in 1892. A devastating fire on April 1, 1893, destroyed the interior, leaving only the stone masonry walls standing.
In 1927, the site was revived as the Old Mill Club, an open-air dance hall and popular regional gathering place. Over the following decades, it continued to serve the community in evolving ways, hosting local music, events, haunted houses, and small commercial uses—demonstrating a long history of adaptive reuse.
Recognized for its historical and architectural significance, the Cottonwood Paper Mill was designated a historic site by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers in 1966 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. Built of stone masonry and prominently sited along Big Cottonwood Creek, the structure reflects early Utah industrial ambition.
Despite being condemned in 2005 due to seismic concerns, the Cottonwood Paper Mill remains one of Cottonwood Heights’ most recognizable landmarks and a powerful symbol of the community’s history and identity.
What is Happening
A Conditional Use Permit has been requested to demolish the historic Cottonwood Paper Mill. Because the building is recognized as a historic structure, the request is being reviewed by the Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission, with a subsequent Certificate of Appropriateness review required by the City Council if the application proceeds. The decision under consideration is whether to approve a Conditional Use Permit that would authorize demolition of the historic structure.
Why This Matters
Demolition of the Old Mill would be permanent and irreversible. Once removed, the community would lose not only a historic building, but a defining landmark tied to place, memory, and identity—one that continues to shape how residents understand and connect to this area.
Because demolition is being reviewed independently from any redevelopment proposal, many community members view this as a threshold decision that will shape all future outcomes for the site. That concern has prompted strong public engagement, including written comments, in-person testimony, and sustained advocacy. At recent public hearings, city officials and commissioners acknowledged that community participation mattered and directly influenced how the Old Mill is being evaluated. This level of involvement underscores the building’s continued relevance and the importance of keeping preservation options fully on the table.
Media Coverage / Resources
Preservation Utah: 2025 Most Endangered Buildings and Places – The Old Mill
Community petition: Save the Old Mill – Big Cottonwood Creek Canyon
Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission
Media Coverage
Key Dates & Deadlines
January 21, 2026 – Public hearing before the Planning Commission
January 2026 – January 2027 – Required one-year waiting period before the Planning Commission can take action on demolition
March 4, 2026 – Planning Commission discussion continued (no decision scheduled)
How to Take Action
Community members are encouraged to stay actively involved and help shape the future of the Old Mill. The primary goal is to ensure that preservation remains a central consideration by encouraging the City to enforce protective maintenance requirements, fully explore alternatives to demolition, and meaningfully evaluate proposals that keep the historic structure standing. Equally important is advancing thoughtful ideas for reuse that demonstrate how the Old Mill can continue to serve the community.
When participating in public meetings or submitting comments, community members may wish to emphasize that the Old Mill is a defining landmark and one of Cottonwood Heights’ few remaining historic structures. Demolition is irreversible and should not be treated as a foregone conclusion, especially when public engagement has shown deep community interest, local knowledge, and professional expertise. Structural challenges should prompt independent review and creative problem-solving rather than automatic demolition, and options such as preservation, partial stabilization, and adaptive reuse should be given full consideration.
Opportunities to participate include attending Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission meetings in person at City Hall, submitting written comments to the Planning Commission during the review period, and staying engaged as the project moves forward to a future City Council Certificate of Appropriateness review. Continued public participation—along with creative, feasible reuse proposals—will play a critical role in determining the Old Mill’s future.
Outcome
No demolition approval was granted at the recent Planning Commission meeting, and the application was formally continued. Commissioners emphasized the need for additional information and analysis, as well as the importance of continued public involvement as the review moves forward. As a result, the process has entered a required one-year review window, ensuring that the building remains standing while options are evaluated and next steps are considered.
What Comes Next
The Old Mill’s future remains undecided, but the trajectory has clearly shifted. Over the next year, the Planning Commission will continue its review, examining the building’s structural condition and safety, its maintenance history and stewardship responsibilities, and a full range of preservation and reuse alternatives. Environmental factors and life-safety considerations will also be part of the ongoing evaluation.
Commissioners stated plainly that public participation changed the conversation and that continued community involvement will be essential as this process moves forward. Staying engaged—through public meetings, written comments, and creative reuse proposals—will play a critical role in shaping the outcome for the Old Mill.