The Old Mill, a historic mixed-use commercial building located in San Marcos celebrated its 100th anniversary on Dec. 6 with a Chamber of Commerce next century ribbon cutting and Christmas breakfast for tenants. The Old Mill is one of the oldest and historic commercial properties in the area.
Henry and Marian Oles purchased the 12-acre property in 1988 to serve as headquarters for their company, EPS Photographic, and to develop as lease space for other businesses. The property had been abandoned for several years and required extensive renovation. Since then it has been home to the first internet service provider in San Marcos and numerous other companies. Many have been startups. The primary building and its companion buildings are now occupied by a variety of companies, including counseling, medical training, rehabilitation, club volleyball, faith-based communities, physical therapy and San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District. The Mill Street Crossing shopping center was added to the complex in 2020 and has tenants, including Mill Street Market by Poco Loco, Leaf Smoke Shop and Domino’s Pizza.
“The Old Mill has been a huge part of our lives for over thirty years,” said Henry Oles. “This building’s ultra modern all concrete construction and its history are part of what makes it so special both during and after construction, and still today. We’ve worked hard to keep the building updated while respecting its long legacy.”
“We have put a lot of love, sweat, time and resources into the Old Mill because we appreciate its history in our community,” said Marian Oles. “We hope all our tenants and guests are able to enjoy the space and support local businesses who call The Old Mill home.”
The building’s origin story, which began with a group of investors starting construction on a large cotton mill in 1924 followed by the stalling of construction the following year when a severe drought destroyed cotton crops. It was completed in 1928. Plans pivoted from cotton to wool scouring to better serve the changing Texas farming industry. The mill turned thousands of tons of raw wool into clean fluffy white wool ready for weaving. During WWII, the Mill produced tens of thousands of wool blankets made for soldiers, and later, the blankets were sold by JC Penny nationwide. At times, there were over 100 employees on a 24/7 schedule.
The building is especially unique because it was one of the first buildings in central Texas to be built entirely with poured in place concrete. It is also one of the few buildings to have a basement. The Bollman Wool Company called the building home for decades before relocating to San Angelo in the mid 1980’s. The Oles’ then rescued and restored the building, dedicating themselves to protecting its unique charm. The building remains a touchstone of San Marcos history.
The Old Mill is listed in the prestigious National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated this historic event on Dec. 6 with a ribbon cutting ceremony dedicated to the next 100 years and a Christmas breakfast for Old Mill tenants, which was held on the historic railroad Club Car.
