(Armed guards aim for vandal-free mill By MARK EDDINGTON Staff Writer FARMINGTON Dilapidated and in a general state of disarray, Jhe Farmington Old Rock Mill re-JSuired re-JSuired a lot of work to be preserved, and Tom Owens knew it when he paid $216,000 for the property at a public auction last May. What he didn't count on was , having to turn the 7.2-acre property si into a virtual armed camp to hold . ' would-be vandals at bay. But that is j exactly what he has done. S Vandalism at the property, which includes the mill and the former Heidelberg Restaurant and Wedding Wed-ding Reception Center, has been an ongoing problem at the site ever since it was vacated several years ago. And the problem continued unabated, even after Owens purchased pur-chased the property. But when vandals broke what little remained of the 100-year-old stained glass windows, kicked down railings and scaled the roof of the mill, removing spotlights and smashing them on the front w doorstep three weeks ago, Owens had seen enough. Now, he has a message for any would-be vandals: "The armed guards are there and the party is over," said Owens. In addition to the guards, Owens began running an ad in the Clipper offering a $400 reward for information informa-tion leading to the arrest and conviction con-viction of the people responsible for the vandalism spree that resulted in over $2,000 worth of damage. He also is advertising for a young couple cou-ple to occupy a two-bedroom apartment on the site in exchange for handyman and guardian duties. "The Farmington police have really been great about cooperating. It's just that the problem has been so overwhelming they had to make a choice between defending the city and defending the mill...They didn't have enough manpower to handle it," Owens added. So Owens turned to outside help and hired armed guards to watch over the premises until he can install in-stall a fence. About 12 people, largely teens, have been caught vandalizing the premises thus far and been turned over to police on charges of criminal trespass. Rumor circulated among teenagers teen-agers has it the mill is haunted and Owens explained vandals come from all over Weber, Davis and Salt Lake counties. "It become known as a place to go and raise hell and stir up the ghost," he said. "I can assure you there are no ghosts there. I've spent a couple of nights there myself. There just doesn't seem to be any ghosts, just vandals." With tentative plans to turn the mill itself into an upscale home, Owens' plans include spending a lot of nights on the property. He has employed an architect to provide the plans and has received word it won't be cheap, probably costing more than the amount he paid for the property. Despite the expense and vandalism, van-dalism, Owens said he doesn't regret buying the property, called by one prominent architect "one of SEE MILL ON A-3 r " t y . ' v ' J y . . - ...... I j . . . ' Farmington Old Rock Mill owner Tom Owens' plan to turn the historic landmark into an upscale home has suffered repeated setbacks as teen-agers have frequently vandalized the building and surrounding property. After suffering more than $2,000 damage in the latest incident, inci-dent, Owens has employed armed guards to ward off would-be vandals. Mill CONTINUED FROM A-l the three most historically significant signifi-cant buildings in the state." Construction of the mill was begun at the behest of early Mormon Mor-mon stalwart Willard Richards, who witnessed the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. But it was his nephew Franklin who took over after Richards had died and completed the project in the 1860s. Owens has hired local youth to help clear away the rubbish accumulated from years of neglect. He hopes the security measures now in place will rid the property of vandals. "Somebody has got to preserve this heritage. Someone has got to step in and preserve this old stuff because there is never going to be any more of it." Where the mill is concerned, Owens aims to be that someone and hopes local residents will lend a hand in curbing vandalism, thus enabling him to preserve a site that played a prominent role in local pioneer history.