In Memory Of Nancy Long and Chris Christenson
Gardner Village Founders Bench Dedication
In 1979, Nancy Long purchased the old Gardner Mill in West Jordan and turned the old mill into store. With time and effort, Nancy and her family turned the once dilapidated flour mill into a thriving shopping community, known as Gardner Village. This month, Nancy’s children, Joe and Angie, who still continue her legacy, hosted a Gardner Village Bench Dedication for the special memorial bench they bought to honor their village founders.
A group gathers for the new Gardner Village Founders Bench Dedication.
The Mill’s Legacy:
In 1853, Archibald Gardner built a flour mill in West Jordan that served the surrounding community for decades.
In 1979, a hundred and twenty-six years later, Nancy Long learned about the mill and its affect on the community of bygone years.
Enchanted, Nancy decided to turn the antique building into a home, but soon realized there were better uses for the historic structure- an artistic shopping center with heart.
Soon, Nancy, Chris Christenson, her children, Joe and Angie built a thriving shopping community around the Gardner Mill- and to this day, over forty years later, Gardner Village remains a special gathering place.
Designing the Gardner Founder's Bench
First, Joe and Angie contacted Smith Steelworks about creating a bench. When asked what they wanted on it, Joe and Angie said, “The Mill!”
Second, our designers worked with Joe and Angie to get the design just right. After a couple of different ideas and mock-ups, this was the one they went with. It features the Gardner Mill with a wind mill.
Third, the design was finalized and fabricated. Then, sandblasted and powdercoated with Chocolate Brown. With the durable finish on this beautiful bench- it can last as long as Gardner Mill.
The Gardner Founders Bench Dedication
In September 2025, a hundred and seventy-two years after Archibald Gardner built the mill, friends and family gathered to dedicate the bench. Nancy Long and Chris Christenson, the founders who had the vision to turn the old mill into something new, have since passed. But, their legacy and ideas live on through Angie and Joe. The bench, a symbol symbol of honor, sits next to the river, waiting for passersby to find it. The old flour mill, now the heartbeat of a thriving shopping community, stands tall.
