Hayden Flour Mill Part 2

Constructed in 1918, the current Hayden Flour Mill building 

is the oldest cast-in-place concrete building in Tempe, AZ.  

The original mill was constructed in 1874 on the banks of the Salt River 

but it was destroyed by fire and replaced in 1895.  

That building was also lost to fire and the current structure was designed to be fire-proof.  

Techniques developed after the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 

were incorporated into the design.  

(The silos were not constructed until the 1950s.)

The mill processed and marketed grain, cotton, fruit, vegetables, and dairy products.  

It purchased most of the grains grown in Central Arizona and milled many of Arizona's best known flours:  Sifted Snow, Arizona Rose, and Family Kitchen.

Milling operations were stopped in 1998.  

The vacant and decaying building was eventually purchased by the City of Tempe.  

It sits a mere two blocks north of the giant ASU campus.

A public event space has been created on the grounds of the mill 

and a grand opening was held in early October.  

A stage and concert lawn accommodating up to 250 people have been constructed 

and there is a small grove of trees providing a shady place for picnics

in a park-like atmosphere near the building.  

The City continues searching for a development partner to preserve the historic structure.  

A decision was made not to repaint the silos and the building 

because the iconic Family Kitchen sign would have been destroyed.

Tempe's most famous ghost sign.

Visitors are permitted to look through ground floor windows 

to see some of the mill's historic equipment and other artifacts.  

This old safe, probably used to stash the payroll, is easily visible from one of the open windows.

In this photograph you can see an old bulletin board, the slots for time cards, 

and perhaps what is a suggestion box.

Maybe this was the employee lounge.