PHOTO: LCRA and City of San Saba representatives present a $35,000 grant to the San Saba Garden Club for renovations to the Old Mill House. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Grants program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Debbie Shahan, garden club reporter; Karen Sloan, club member; Marjean Alexander, club co-president; Rhonda Killion, club parliamentarian; Martha Leigh M. Whitten, LCRA Board vice chair; Susan Kissko, club member; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Scott Edmonson, San Saba city manager; Carol Freeman, LCRA Board member; Cindy Sloan, club co-president; Jan Beaver and Denise Mayfield, club members; Trudy Hughes, club treasurer; and John Palacio, LCRA Regional Affairs representative.
The San Saba Garden Club soon will restore and reopen the historic Old Mill House, a longtime community gathering space in Mill Pond Park, thanks in part to a $35,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of San Saba.
The LCRA Community Grant, along with other matching funds from the garden club and other grants, will support extensive interior renovations after the building sustained significant damage from flooding in 2025.
Cindy Sloan, co-president of the San Saba Garden Club, said the community came together to support recovery efforts in the aftermath of the floods. “Floodwaters last July reached three-quarters of the way up the interior walls, destroying the kitchen, bathroom, storage areas and everything inside,” Sloan said. “In the days after the flood, garden club members sorted through damaged items, salvaging what they could and cleaning and sanitizing tables, chairs and dishes. Our community understood the importance of the historic building.”
Renovations will include installing a new HVAC system and sheetrock, replacing all electrical systems, rebuilding the bathroom and storage areas, painting, and adding new appliances, cabinets and countertops in the kitchen and bathroom. The improvements will help the facility continue to serve as a community hub for gatherings, events and activities.
“This historic Old Mill House hosts our annual Kids Nature Kamp, is available to rent for meetings and wedding receptions, and provides a welcoming space for gatherings and events in Mill Pond Park,” Sloan said. “Thanks to this grant from LCRA and the City of San Saba, combined with other community grants and donations, we can begin rebuilding and restoring what was lost so this historic space can continue to be a cherished and integral part of our park and community for years to come.”
Local SSGC members say - Thanks to LCRA for helping bring this project to life through its Community Grants program!
Members of the San Saba Garden Club respectfully commend and praise our beloved San Saba community people and organizations plus the many other individuals and groups, far and wide, who have so generously given to our cause!
Back in July, amid the mud and mess, we committed to do our best to restore what we had lost. We prayed and we planned and we prayed some more! Now all those efforts have brought us to fruition and we are ready to accomplish the project. We desire many blessings be given to those who have blessed us in our endeavors.