Hollar Hosiery Mills-Knit Sox Knitting Mills
Why it's listed
Built around 1930 for Hollar Hosiery Mills and expanded around 1940 by Knit-Sox Knitting Mills, this complex in the Highland industrial area of Hickory is made up of two brick mill buildings joined by a mid-1960s hyphen. The earlier mill has a seven-bay Commercial Style front with stepped parapets, concrete corner blocks and a concrete nameplate reading Hollar Hosiery Mills. Its interior retains an open production room with riveted metal roof trusses. The yarn mill to the east has steel bowstring trusses and a large open upper floor. The property is significant for its link to hosiery manufacturing, which employed roughly half of Hickory's industrial workforce by the late 1930s. Knit-Sox produced women's and children's socks distributed nationally, with a sales office in New York City. The mill closed in 1968 and the property has been vacant since the early 1990s.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex clearly illustrates the development of Hickory's hosiery industry in the first half of the twentieth century, when hosiery production became a major part of the city's manufacturing base. It is described as one of the most intact hosiery mills in Hickory and is considered locally significant under Criterion A for industry.
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 12001087, listed December 26, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 883 Highland Ave., SE., Hickory |
|---|---|
| County | Catawba County |
| Listed | December 26, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12001087 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1930-1962 |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The property has been vacant since the early 1990s. |
| Coordinates | 35.73530, -81.32560 (Wikidata) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 12001087.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18169252
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.