The Paris Mill, a well-known and cherished historic mining mill near Alma was named one of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places in 2004 by Colorado Preservation Inc. The facility was built to stamp and crush gold ore during the mining boom of the late 1800’s. It was last used during the 1970’s by the Mount Bross Mining Company to re-process old mine waste piles.

“Among hundreds of properties and structures evaluated in a 1996 study of the region’s heritage resources, the Paris Mill was ranked as the highest preservation priority in South Park,” according to Gary Nichols, Park County Community Development Director. The Alma Foundation is working with South Park National Heritage Area, Colorado Preservation Inc. as well as numerous other organizations and individuals to save the Paris Mill, which is currently owned by Park County.

• 2004 – Listed as one of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places by Colorado Preservation, Inc. Resulted in community meetings with Colorado Preservation Inc., Trust for Public Lands, and Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative and the owner (Chiwawa Mines Inc.) securing the building.
• 2005 – Designated as a Park County Historic Landmark
  2006 – Wood Assessment is prepared
• 2006 – Conservation Easement placed on the property
• 2008 – Heritage tourism Site Plan prepared by Park County
• 2009 – Sold to Park County, awarded Brownfields Program grant for remediation/site cleanup
• 2009 to 2011 – Remediation and stabilization of south wing 2010 – Intensive Survey by an intern provided by Colorado Preservation, Inc., found to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
• 2011 to 2012 – Park County prepares a Historic Structure Assessment for the Mill
• 2012 – Park County receives a Certified Local Government grant for to prepare a nomination for the National Register of Historic Places (We are expecting this to go before the state review board this May)
• 2012 – Park County hosts a Community Work Day at the Mill in September with 20 volunteers. The building is secured, drainage issues are addressed, and minor repairs performed.
• 2012 to 2013 – Park County has a temporary roof placed on the tower, other roof repairs are performed with donated materials, and the cyanidation (west) wing’s north wall is temporarily stabilized.