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Historic Bel Air Building to Live On Mary Paramore
The mill has been used to prepare animal feeds for more than 50 years. Gesturing toward the two four- and five-story joined buildings that comprise the mill, owner and CEO Henry Smith Holloway said, “There’s been a lessening demand in this area for something like that. We have another mill in Whiteford and could only keep one in operation.” Holloway said he contacted two or three salvage and demolition companies before settling on Pequea Salvage, from Willow Street, PA. The Amish-owned and operated company will salvage all of the buildings’ lumber. “The other guys would have done it in five or six days, but just dump it. This is a better use of the building. There’s nothing wrong with the lumber,” Holloway said. “We plan to make flooring from almost all of it. We will mill it, kiln dry it and then tongue and groove it,” said Daniel Glick, owner of Pequea Salvage. “We’ll have only a few truck loads of scrap that we’ll have turned to mulch.”
According to The Mill’s Web site, the Reckord Mill was built by Henry Reckord in 1886, at which time it was Bel Air’s largest industrial enterprise, turning out more than 100 barrels of flour each day. Author Marilynn Larew, in Bel Air: The Town through its Buildings, said, “Modern as modern could be when the Reckords built it, the operation was a merchant flour mill powered by a 60 horsepower steam engine.” H. Smith Walter purchased the company in 1957, converting it to the Bel Air Farm Supply Company and switching the mill’s output to animal feed.
Holloway expects his Bel Air business to attract much more roadside business with the removal of what was one of Bel Air’s tallest buildings. The Mill also has locations in Black Horse, Whiteford and Hereford.
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Harford’ County’s historic Reckord Mill, which was fully operational from 1886 until October 2008, is coming down to make way for improvements at 
Seeing the old building coming down, several people stopped to inquire about buying its siding, flooring and supports. When it’s ready for sale, which Glick estimated as being in late fall or winter, the flooring will be offered through The Mill as well as through other venues of Glick’s choice. 
In 1986, 100 years after its construction, Holloway, grandson of H. Smith Walter, purchased Reckord Mill. He continued feed production as well as added and expanded other sales lines in landscaping, gardening, livestock and pet supply.