Fieldale Historic District

Fieldale is a company mill town in central Henry County, Virginia, built by Marshall Field & Company of Chicago. The company bought 1,841 acres in 1916-1917 and opened the town in 1919 to make quality towels for its department store. The plan had three parts: the brick mill complex, a business district with a bank, post office, grocery and theater, and a residential area to the west. Company-built one-story bungalows, mostly from stock plans, were rented to workers for 25 cents per room per week. The company also financed two schools and a community center. In 1941 the company sold the houses to its employees, and the mills became independent in 1953. They went bankrupt in 2003 and were bought in 2006 for manufacturing and distribution. The district contains hundreds of resources, including the mills, a former railroad depot, a Warren truss bridge and a downtown of two-story brick buildings. Later ranch houses and secondary buildings are non-contributing.