Columbus Manufacturing Company
Also known as: West Point Pepperell and West Point Stevens Company; Johnston Mill
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Why it's listed
This brick textile mill complex overlooks the Chattahoochee River north of downtown Columbus, Georgia. Built between 1899 and 1901 to a design by the Boston engineering firm Lockwood, Greene & Co., it centers on a four-story main mill enlarged in 1910, with a concrete-framed weave shed of 1922, a cloth-finishing annex, cotton warehouses, two power plants, an office and an elevated water tank. Local business leaders built it to use inexpensive electricity from the nearby North Highlands Dam, then the largest dam in the South, and it was among the first Georgia mills to run on hydroelectric power. Its slow-burn construction and fire-suppression water system reflect the engineering of the period. The mill produced cotton sheeting until it closed in 1996, and it illustrates the growth of Georgia's textile industry in the early 20th century. Rehabilitated in 2004, it now provides loft apartments.
Significance in brief: The mill is significant in architecture and engineering for showing early 20th-century advances in using electricity to produce textiles in Georgia. It was among the first Georgia mills to use hydroelectric power, supplied by the North Highlands Dam. It is also significant in industry as an example of the New South-era rise of textile manufacturing and a leading employer in Columbus.
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 07000699, listed July 10, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3201 1st Av., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Muscogee County |
| Listed | July 10, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000699 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1901-1957 |
| Architect / builder | Lockwood, Greene & Co. (engineering firm) |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Engineering, Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated in 2004 as loft apartments; the main mill, north annex, cotton warehouses and weave shed serve as residences. The mill closed in 1996. |
| Acreage | 17.5 |
| Coordinates | 32.49115, -84.99198 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 07000699.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q141782977
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.