Saxapahaw Spinning Mill, Former
Why it's listed
Beside the Haw River in the village of Saxapahaw, a three-story brick and heavy-timber spinning mill rises from the water's edge. Its oldest sections date from 1906 to 1938, when Holt, White and Williamson and later Sellers Manufacturing Company built the east and west wings on earlier mill foundations. The east wing has segmental arch windows about five by ten feet, eighteen-inch brick walls and maple floors laid over heavy timber posts. The mill operated for nearly 150 years, making gingham and later mercerized hosiery yarns, and was the most reliable employer in the community apart from farming. Its owners included the Newlin, Holt and Jordan families, the last of whom produced U.S. Senator B. Everett Jordan. The building is regarded as an outstanding example of the rural cotton mill type, with its open plan, fire-separated functions and river-powered origins. It closed after a 1994 tornado, and a 1996 flood damaged the first floor.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the mill was a major employer and driver of economic development in a rural area, operating for roughly 150 years. It is presented as a good surviving example of the classic rural cotton mill, built with slow-burn construction and open-plan layout. Its owners, the Newlin, Holt and Jordan families, were prominent in Alamance County, and B. Everett Jordan later became a U.S. Senator.
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 98000546, listed May 20, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1647 Saxapahaw Bethlehem Church Rd., Saxapahaw |
|---|---|
| County | Alamance County |
| Listed | May 20, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000546 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1906-1948 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed in 1994 after tornado damage; stabilization and planned rehabilitation for apartments, shops and restaurant were underway. |
| Acreage | 6.7 |
| Coordinates | 35.94671, -79.32087 (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 98000546.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17560716
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.