Reconstruction of John Reed’s mill in today’s “Old Mill Park,” courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

A historic structure in one of Mill Valley’s parks is slated to get a new roof. The Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed plans to restore the roof of the Reed Mill in Old Mill Park at its meeting on Wednesday night. The roof and several joints of the structure are failing and need to be repaired.

“If you look under it from the inside, you can see daylight throughout it, and there’s some places vegetation is starting to grow and get hold, and it’s an untreated wood-shingle roof, so it has a fairly short lifespan,” said Mark Neumann, the city’s deputy director of operations and utilities.

The creekside mill in Cascade Canyon was one of the first built in the Bay Area, according to the Mill Valley Historical Society. Erected around 1835 by John Reed, it is one of the oldest standing mills in California.

Neumann said the old mill is a “wonderful, beloved and well used” space. He said it was reconstructed in 1991 by a San Francisco contractor and a historical architectural firm. More maintenance was performed in the 2000s, mainly roof repair work and the application of an all-in-one wood preservative, fungicide and insecticide.

While the roof is still intact in most spots, it has failed in others, according to a city staff report. Additionally, some areas are showing signs of dry rot, and another round of wood preservative is needed in those areas. Neumann said the new wood preservative is a more modern, gel version that is less prone to runoff.

The plans drawn up in 1991 will be used to do the repair work. The city has found a vendor that can provide redwood barn shake shingles consistent with the period, Neumann said.

“The roof has reached the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced,” the staff report states.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

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