Henderson Manufacturing Company

Two brick mill buildings just behind the commercial storefronts of downtown Hampton, Georgia, are all that remain of the Henderson Manufacturing Company complex. A. J. Henderson expanded the business from one small building into a large operation making ladies underwear, and in 1907 he added the carding, drawing, and spinning building and a cotton warehouse. Both are built of brick with heavy timber framing, long rectangular plans, and rows of large windows that admitted light and air. The mill was among Hampton's two leading industries and a major employer in the 1920s and 1930s. Boll weevil damage to cotton and the Great Depression forced cutbacks, and it closed in 1936. Fire and demolition removed the other buildings. Later occupants included an electrical supply distributor and a linens manufacturer that operated until 1996. In 2000 the surviving buildings were converted to loft apartments, keeping the timber frames, floors, and exposed brick walls. They were recognized for their industrial and architectural importance to the town.