Board approves demolition of iconic mill

By Randy Bell

“It’s either bring it down safely, or it’s coming down on its own.”

That’s how Tabb Hataway, owner of Clinton’s Johnson Milling Company, summed up his request to the Board of Aldermen for permission to demolish the grain elevators and silos which have stood on the property for about fifty years. After a two-week delay, the Board gave Hataway the go-ahead.

Rusty and crumbling, the mill equipment has become a safety hazard. Hataway asked the Board at its July 1 meeting for a certificate of appropriateness, which would allow him to have those structures torn down; but the request was tabled after some members expressed concern about the impact on the Olde Towne Historic District in which the mill is located. Johnson Milling was included as one of the contributing resources which enabled the City to have the District listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. But, as it turns out, the mill actually didn’t qualify.

At their July 15 meeting, several Board members said they still wished the local landmark could be saved, but now understood that was no longer an option.

“I think it’s sad for all of us,” said Ward 1 Alderwoman Karen Godfrey.

The vote to approve the request was unanimous.

Hataway said the demolition should take about a week, maybe two. Over the years, he said he’s been approached by people intrigued by the silos. One proposal would have turned them into apartments, and another potential buyer talked about hauling the silos away to be repurposed elsewhere. But the condition of the structures made both ideas impractical.

Hataway told the Board that removing the silos and elevators will open up more opportunities for the future on the Johnson Milling property, where he operates a farm supply store.

“We still sell to the public feed, seed, fertilizer, pet food—all the same things that would have been milled,” he said. “But, years ago, it got to be more expensive to mill than to haul in. So, [the previous owners] just switched straight to retail.”

Johnson Milling dates back to 1917. But Hataway says none of the original structures remain. When a survey was done for the National Register designation, there was a misunderstanding over the mill’s historic value.

“They showed 1917 on there,” said Director of Community Development Roy Edwards. “But now we’ve gotten the plans [for the mil]) that show that the plans weren’t drawn until 1976. So, it’s not nearly as old as we thought it was. Therefore, it shouldn’t have been on the list as a contributing resource for the National Register.”

Edwards has contacted the Mississippi Department of Archives and History about the confusion over the mill and the efforts to demolish the elevators and silos.

“I’ve talked to them about it. They understand that [including it in the survey] was definitely a mistake. And they said, if it’s in that condition, it’s probably better for it to come down anyway, whether it was a contributing resource or not.”