Operations at Brookhaven’s Columbus Lumber Co. have ceased, making the prestigious old sawmill the latest and most visible local victim of the national recession.

Company co-owner Jeff Grierson told The Daily Leader of Brookhaven the mill’s prime lender, Bank of America, issued orders to halt operations last week, sending around 100 workers into the ranks of the unemployed.

Columbus Lumber Co. has operated in Brookhaven since 1943. It was one of the city’s oldest industries.

Grierson said the company remains in “limbo” with regards to the future, as negotiations with the bank over possible employee assistance packages and the search for potential buyers continue.