Bellemont Mill Village Historic District
Why it's listed
Bellemont Mill Village is a small textile community southwest of Graham, North Carolina, built in 1879-1880 by brothers L. Banks Holt and Lawrence S. Holt. Contractor Berry Davidson erected a three-story, white-painted brick cotton mill beside Great Alamance Creek and twenty-three frame houses for its workers along the adjoining road. Eighteen are two-story I-houses and five are one-story dwellings. The mill used slow-burn construction, with thick brick walls, heavy timber supports, segmental arched windows and a corbelled cornice. Framing timbers were cut on circular saws, a newer technique at the time. The Holts belonged to the family that dominated Alamance County's textile industry, and Bellemont is believed to be the county's earliest surviving post-Civil War mill village. The houses were sold to private owners beginning in 1937, and many have new siding or porches. The mill stopped operating in 1981 and is vacant, yet the village keeps its rural setting and original layout.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is one of the most intact late nineteenth century textile mill villages in Alamance County and is believed to be the earliest surviving post-Civil War mill village there. It reflects the Holt family's dominance of the county's textile industry. The mill's slow-burn construction, corbelled cornice and segmental arched windows, together with the circular-sawn framing and I-house design of the mill houses, are cited as architecturally significant.
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 87001099, listed July 1, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E and W side of NC 49, S of jct. with Great Alamance Creek, Bellemont |
|---|---|
| County | Alamance County |
| Listed | July 1, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001099 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1879-1937 |
| Architect / builder | Berry Davidson, contractor |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The mill closed in 1981 and has been vacant since, in deteriorated but not derelict condition. The mill houses are privately owned and occupied, with many altered by siding and porch changes. |
| Acreage | 9.8 |
| Coordinates | 36.02588, -79.44259 (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).
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 87001099.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17509206
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.