Stanard-Tilton Flour Mill
a.k.a. Russell--Miller Milling Company;American Beauty Mill
2400 S. Ervay St., Dallas, TXThe early 20th-century industrial buildings comprising the Stanard-Tilton Flour Mill arose during the redevelopment of Dallas' industrial sector following a devastating flood on the Trinity River in 1908. The largest flour milling operation in the community during its period of significance, the mill evolved from a grist mill founded in the 1850s and run for much of the century by Sarah Horton Cockrell. In 1892 the Stanard-Tilton Milling Company of St. Louis purchased the concern from her as part of an effort to expand into southern markets. In 1912 the firm commissioned plans for this site, which provided direct access to the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe and the Texas and Pacific rail lines, as well as the local road network. Construction coincided with a period of intense growth in Dallas fostered in part by an explosion in local industrial production. In 1941 the Russell- Miller Milling Company of Minneapolis purchased the successful operation to enhance a distribution network embracing the entire Great Plains region. This firm began a campaign of expansions in 1948 to add a packing room, blending plant, laboratories, and 27-grain storage bins to the facility. Reflective of Dallas' continued economic growth throughout the early 20th century, the resultant complex continues to convey its essential industrial character established during this period of significance. One of only two such properties surviving in Dallas, this reminder of a significant period of industrial expansion in the community is nominated at the local level of significance in the areas of Industry and Architecture.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.