The Old Dowlin Mill caught fire on Tuesday, December 19th, 2017. Unfortunately, while the Old Mill’s adobe walls and water wheel survived, the interior appears to not be salvageable.

Preliminary findings indicate a PNM crew punctured a 2-inch Zia Gas Company main. The leaking gas from this puncture migrated into the Old Dowlin Mill. Consequently, exposure to an ignition source resulted in the gas explosion and fire. Due to the gas leak and explosion, there was a temporary outage to nearly 4,000 customers.

The Ruidoso community, as well as all of those who visit Ruidoso, will mourn the loss of the Old Mill. The Old Dowlin Mill will be missed as it was a constant reminder of Ruidoso’s deep roots and history. At the moment it appears that this was a total loss and a full restoration is not foreseen.

To learn more about the rich background of this historic site visit our Old Dowlin Mill page.

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