Grey Hosiery Mill
Also known as: Water Department-City of Hendersonville; Hold Hosiery
Why it's listed
Grey Hosiery Mill is a one-story brick industrial building three blocks east of Main Street in downtown Hendersonville, North Carolina. Built in 1915 and enlarged in 1919 and 1947, it forms a backward J shape on a coursed stone foundation. Large multi-pane steel-sash windows, a stepped gable roof with clerestory, and heavy chamfered interior timbers mark it as a typical early twentieth century mill. Citizens of Hendersonville raised money in 1915 to bring industry to town, and Captain James P. Grey and his son started the mill, which first made children's ribbed stockings and later women's seamless hosiery. At its peak it produced 66,000 pairs weekly and employed 250 people, and its brands carried the town's name to department stores. The Grey family ran it until 1965, and production ended in 1967. It is described as the only historic industrial building left in Hendersonville and now houses the city's Water and Sewer Department.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the only historic industrial building remaining in Hendersonville and an intact example of early twentieth century industrial architecture (Criterion C). It is also significant under Criterion A in industry, as a stable employer whose hosiery was distributed nationally and helped diversify the town's economy.
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 00001189, listed October 6, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 301 Fourth Ave. E, Hendersonville |
|---|---|
| County | Henderson County |
| Listed | October 6, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00001189 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1915-1947 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: Industrial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the City of Hendersonville and houses the Water and Sewer Department; earlier used as a craft store and temporary home of the Henderson County Library. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Coordinates | 35.31753, -82.45776 (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.
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 00001189.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19462079
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.