By Debbie Adams
Developers David Hill and David Trinkle of Gish Mill Davii, LLC, welcomed members of
Vinton Town Council and staff to the historic Gish Mill for an update tour on March 4. Vinton
Assistant Director of Planning and Zoning Nathan McClung noted that interior stabilization is
almost complete on the iconic mill which was built around 1846.
The project is being financed through private and public funding, including historic tax credits,
Brownfields grants, and Department of Housing and Community Development and Industrial
Revitalization Funds. The property has been designated on both the Virginia and National
Historic Registers.
Hill commented that the changes so far have been mainly inside the building and not visible to
passersby. Much effort has been spent to make the building level so that it can be redeveloped
into restaurant, retail, and lodging space.
In some places, the floor was nine to ten inches out of level. The floor has been raised with a
whole new subflooring installed in some areas. The original flooring has been painstakingly
preserved, with each nail removed and will be reinstalled.
Trinkle noted that the stabilization has moved slowly and methodically over about an eight-
month period; however, new construction will begin in about two weeks and the public will
“really see some action” at that point.
E.J. Miller is the stabilization contractor. He and his crew have built a pier foundation system
under the eastern end of the building, built foundation walls under the old exterior walls and
gotten the walls plumb, placed in-roof beams that meet current standards, and leveled the floor.
According to Hill, “The crew must do it super-slowly to prevent cracking the several-hundred-
year-old structural elements. Just millimeters a day!”
Trinkle said that the project is currently a blank slate which will eventually include a large
restaurant on the main floor with an outdoor deck for dining overlooking Glade Creek (the mill is
said to have its own otter). He indicated locations of the kitchen, potential retail space, and the
areas where guest rooms will be located.
Council members were able to maneuver their way through most of the building, which at this
time is filled with scaffolding. Trinkle and Hill pointed out the historic milling equipment that
will remain on site, either in place or on display.
The Gish Mill Redevelopment Project has been in the works in the Town of Vinton since 2015
when the town purchased the historic mill site from the Holdren family with two objectives: to
rehabilitate and preserve the town’s founding structure (the mill appears on the Town Seal) and
to create a leasable space for employment and generating new revenue.
According to town leaders and the developers, the project has been challenging, with many
obstacles to overcome along the way.
The town and the Roanoke County Economic Development Authority approved Performance
Agreements with the Gish Mill Davii to make the redevelopment financially feasible. The project
is expected to be completed in 2026.
