Simkins Mill Demolition Begins

The owners of Simkins Mill along the Patapsco River in Catonsville have begun demolishing the site that began operating in the 1800s.

The company will later submit a plan for cleaning up the property, including its lead-contaminated soil, before the company releases information on the future of the land, according to a report by The Baltimore Sun.

Simkins Industries, a Connecticut-based company, might decide to redevelop the site or sell it to a developer or the state of Maryland, according to Catonsville Patch articles.

If its sold to the state Department of the Environment, it could become part of Patapsco State Park. The MDE is overseeing the clean-up of the 55-acre property.

Simkins Industries used the building as a recycled paper mill until a fire destroyed the property in 2003. Another fire occurred in December of 2011.

The building dates back to the 1820s when it was used to make cotton and fabric until it was converted to a paper mill in the late 1920s.

Simkins Industries bought it in the 1950s and used it until a fire in 2003 severely damaged it.

When firefighters have responded over the years, they have reported finding evidence of homeless encampments inside the building.

Before demolition began, the building was open to the elements, and 20 percent of it was deemed unsound.