Revolution Cotton Mills
Also known as: Revolution Division,Cone Mills
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Why it's listed
Revolution Cotton Mills is a sprawling brick textile complex in northeast Greensboro, covering more than a million square feet between Yanceyville Street, Ninth Street, the Southern Railroad and North Buffalo Creek. The mill opened in September 1900 and produced the first canton flannel made in the South. It then doubled in size in 1904 and again around 1915, with later additions including a bleachery, storage buildings, a machine shop and a tall yellow brick stack spelling "Revolution." The buildings follow the standard mill construction promoted by insurers: brick walls, heavy timber posts, monitor roofs, fire walls and separate cotton warehouses. Much of the complex was brick veneered in the 1960s when air conditioning was installed. At its start the company had the highest stock value of any Guilford County corporation listed in 1902. Operations ended in February 1982, and the owners planned to convert the buildings to apartments and offices following rehabilitation guidelines.
Significance in brief: The complex is a typical example of standard, fire-resistant "slow-burning" Southern textile mill construction, designed for safety and efficiency rather than beauty. Revolution produced the first canton flannel in the South in 1900 and was among the largest capitalized corporations in Guilford County. It grew through three major building campaigns in 1900, 1904 and about 1915.
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 84002324, listed March 1, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Southern RR, N. Buffalo Creek, Yanceyville and 9th Sts., Greensboro |
|---|---|
| County | Guilford County |
| Listed | March 1, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002324 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Standard mill construction (slow-burning textile mill design) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Industrial operations ceased in February 1982; the owners planned to convert the buildings to apartments and offices. The form checks the condition as excellent through deteriorated, and the status as unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 33 |
| Coordinates | 36.09911, -79.77785 (NPS GIS) |
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 84002324.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987783
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.