The Friends of Norris Dam State Park is helping the park staff raise funds to preserve the Rice Gristmill locates at the park.  The funds raised will be used to repair the interior wheel, replace the windows with period-appropriate 12-pane windows, repair the stone masonry around the steps and install a new interpretive panel.  

The park is currently using state funds to replace the wood siding with poplar which will be historically accurate for the time period.  The next state-funded project will include bucket repair to the external wheel.  The long-range goal is to have the Rice Gristmill to be fully operational for demonstration purposes and restore the historical integrity of this structure. 

Park staff has been collaborating with historic preservation skilled employees that operate the Cable Mill, located at Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains  National Park.