Washington Manufacturing Company
Also known as: Tennille Yarn Mill; Tennille Mill
Why it's listed
Tennille's mill on East Montgomery and Church Streets is a long, narrow brick building that has served textile manufacturing for more than ninety years. Its original two-story section, 17 bays long, was designed by architect Charles E. Choate and completed by 1903 for the newly formed Tennille Mill Company. A square tower with blind arches and battlement-style brickwork marks the front, and rounded wooden brackets circle the roofline beneath a stepped parapet. A partial third floor was added in 1937, and a three-story extension followed in 1950. Inside, wooden beams, columns and wide plank floors remain, and the original elevators still operate. The mill and its brick warehouse are recognized because they are the only known industrial work by Choate in Washington County and a good example of early twentieth-century southern mill design. Many original tall, segmental-arched windows remain open, which is uncommon among surviving mills. The plant still makes gauze-type fabric.
Significance in brief: The 1900-1903 mill section and its nearby warehouse are the only surviving example of industrial design by Charles Choate in Washington County. They also represent typical turn-of-the-century southern mill architecture, and unusually many original windows remain open.
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 94000717, listed July 28, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Between E. Montgomery and Church Sts. at White Line St., Tennille |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | July 28, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000717 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-1937 |
| Architect / builder | Charles E. Choate, architect (1900-1903 original section of mill) |
| Architectural style | none--no style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a manufacturing facility; the plant continues to produce a gauze-type fabric, similar to its original product. |
| Acreage | 11 |
| Coordinates | 32.94143, -82.80491 (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 94000717.
- 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.