The Columbian Paper Company mill, located on the banks of the Maury River in Buena Vista, serves as a rare, well-preserved example of a historic complex associated with paper production, one of the city’s leading industries from the late 19th to mid-20th century. Mill-related construction began under the Buena Vista Paper Manufacturing Company about 1890, but most of the mill dates to the Columbian Paper Company period, which began in 1892 and involved a decades-long expansion program.  The mill was used to make paper until 1954 when it was acquired by Bonded Fibers (Bontex) and converted to other uses. The five-acre nominated area encompasses two buildings: the main mill building, a large cumulative agglomeration of mostly rectangular brick wings; and a smaller chip house. Brick pier-wall construction with decorative corbelling and stone or poured concrete foundations are typical of the older sections of the mill. A branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad formerly passed through the property, accompanied by a siding. The Columbian Paper Company mill incorporates a ca. 1860 stone canal lock into its foundation.