Lavonia Cotton Mill
Also known as: Lavonia Manufacturing Co.
Why it's listed
Founded in 1901 by Mack Crawford and Tom McCallister, this cotton mill sits on a five-acre fenced tract on Main Street in Lavonia, with the railroad running along its west side. The main building is a long one-story brick structure with segmental arched windows now filled in with brick, bracketed eaves, large arched doorways and brick walls that rise through the roof and seem to serve as firewalls. Nearby are a metal building, two brick buildings, an office, a gate house and a metal water tower. The mill began with 4,992 spindles making twist yarns and was incorporated in 1924. It changed hands in 1930 and again in 1944, when it became the Lavonia Manufacturing Company. The adjoining mill village was demolished in 1952. It remains in operation, employing 115 people. It is recognized as a good local example of utilitarian industrial architecture and as Lavonia's third and largest historic industry, tied to the town's period of greatest growth.
Significance in brief: Architecturally, it is a good local example of small-scale turn-of-the-century industrial complexes in Georgia, with load-bearing brick, segmental arches and slow-burning post and plank construction. Industrially, it was Lavonia's third and largest historic industry and reflects the New South push to develop industry in small towns and use the region's cotton.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83000213, listed September 1, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Lavonia |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | September 1, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000213 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (established by Mack Crawford and Tom McCallister) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in full-time operation producing twisted yarn; the mill and surrounding buildings appear to be in good condition. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 34.42926, -83.10216 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83000213.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.