Fox River Mills

Built between 1883 and 1915, the Fox River Mills have always played an important role in the vitality of the City of Appleton, Wisconsin. For a century, the Mills were an anchor in the Fox River Valley’s paper industry, employing hundreds and fueling the local economy. When the Mills were finally deemed obsolete in the mid 1980’s, local officials debated over what to do with the huge complex of “dilapidated old buildings.”

State and federal tax credits as well as local funds were used to the make the project financially viable. The redeveloped buildings have attracted hundreds of new residents to downtown Appleton and continue to play a major role in the revitalization of Appleton’s urban center.

Completed over the course of two phases, the Fox River Mills remain a shimmering example of historic preservation and urban revitalization through a public/private venture.