Norway Mill
Why it's listed
Norway Mill is a massive two-story limestone building on FM 182, about eight miles southwest of Clifton in Bosque County, Texas. Alvin Reeder, Ole Canuteson, and Andrew Canuteson built it around 1870, assisted by Charlie Olson and Martin Shefstad. Steam engines powered the mill, drawing water from a nearby stream, and it operated until about 1890. It was the first mill to serve the local Norwegian community and is the only industrial site among the related Norwegian settlement properties. A small community, Norway Mills, grew up around it between about 1870 and 1890, though nothing of that town remains. The building is rectangular, with flat arches over its openings and traces of scored plaster once covering the stone. Original doors, sashes, and machinery are gone, and the engine room survives as ruins. Two mill stones were relocated, one to a nearby farmstead and one to the Bosque County Museum in Clifton. Hay is now stored on the ground floor.
Significance in brief: It was the first mill to serve the Norwegian community in Bosque County and is the only industrial site in the thematic group of Norwegian settlement properties. The small community of Norway Mills grew up around it between about 1870 and 1890.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83003113, listed July 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Clifton on FM 182, Clifton |
|---|---|
| County | Bosque County |
| Listed | July 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003113 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Alvin Reeder, Ole Canuteson, and Andrew Canuteson, with the help of Charlie Olson and Martin Shefstad |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, European, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in fair condition and unoccupied; the first floor is used to store hay and a temporary metal roof covers the structure. Present use is listed as agriculture. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.69338, -97.65700 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83003113.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001657
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.