Altamahaw Mill Office
Why it's listed
Built about 1890 on a knoll overlooking the Altamahaw cotton mill, this two-and-a-half-story brick office is a Queen Anne building with a high stuccoed base, a bell-cast roof, and a band of brown and cream bricks that spells out "OFFICE" on the north side. Inside, it has plaster walls, maple floors, tiled fireplaces and a pine staircase. When new, it was among the most modern buildings in the county, with running water, gas fixtures and an early telephone. The mill was founded in 1880-81 by John Q. Gant, Sr. and Berry Davidson, with Banks and Lawrence Holt becoming partners in 1883. The office reflects how growing textile businesses moved their record-keeping out of the factory into separate buildings. It served as the mill office for more than seventy years, then held company records, and has been vacant since 1976. Only the front entrance stairs and the lighting were changed, leaving the building well preserved.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the office as a well-preserved example of late nineteenth-century industrial architecture in piedmont North Carolina. Its high-style design reflects the growing status of the textile industry and the move of mill management into a separate building. It is also tied to the Gant and Holt families, prominent in Alamance County textile development.
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 84000301, listed November 20, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SR 1002 and SR 1567, Altamahaw |
|---|---|
| County | Alamance County |
| Listed | November 20, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000301 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant since 1976 but well maintained by the owning family; the form lists its status as unoccupied/vacant and its condition as good. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 36.18397, -79.50714 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 84000301.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17511425
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.