American Flats
The American Flats Mill near Virginia City, NV was, at one point, the largest concrete mill in the United States; it has since become a graffiti-laden monolith used for parties and paintball wars.
Opened in 1922, the mill processed low-grade silver and gold ore using a unique cyanide vat-leaching method. After various owners, the mill closed only a few years later and everything was recycled except for the concrete skeleton, which now stands.
American Flats Mill ca. 1925
American Flats Mill ca 2012
In recent years there has been the threat of deconstruction from the BLM. The mill site is disintegrating and many floors and walls have crumbled to their rebar cores.
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Some underground portions have since filled with water that has no outlet, creating possible health issues.
Arguments against the removal of the mill ruins point to the historical significance (largest concrete mill in the USA for a time) of the site and a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places may be sought. Whether or not there is any integrity to the mill remains to be argued.
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the vats
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