Laboratory Historic District
Why it's listed
Laboratory Historic District is a compact rural group of mill-related resources on the South Fork River, about two miles south of Lincolnton. Its centerpiece is the brick Laboratory Cotton Mill, built in 1887 by Daniel E. Rhyne and his brother-in-law James A. Abernethy Sr. on a site that earlier held the Lincoln Cotton Factory and, from 1863, a Confederate laboratory producing medicines for the army. Also included are the mill's dam and race system, a stone reservoir, the ca. 1844 brick Hoke-Rhyne House and Rhyne's 1894 frame house with its ornate Victorian porch. The mill reintroduced cotton manufacturing to Lincoln County's economy in the late nineteenth century and operated until the late 1990s. The mill village that once surrounded it was demolished or moved after 1953, so these surviving buildings and structures, with their wooded hillside setting, preserve the industrial and domestic landscape of Rhyne's long career. Nine of the twenty-two resources contribute to the district's character.
Significance in brief: The district preserves the surviving core of the cotton mill complex founded by Daniel E. Rhyne in 1887, which revived textile manufacturing in Lincoln County. It also includes the site of a Confederate medicine laboratory (1863-1865) and the earlier Lincoln Cotton Factory. Its houses and mill structures are strong local examples of their types and styles.
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 03001273, listed December 10, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Laboratory Rd. and S. Fork Rd., Laboratory |
|---|---|
| County | Lincoln County |
| Listed | December 10, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03001273 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1844-1861; ca. 1887-1953 |
| Architect / builder | George Finch (supervised construction of the Confederate laboratory); Daniel E. Rhyne (mill founder and builder of the 1894 house) |
| Architectural style | Federal; Greek Revival; Late Victorian |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The mill closed in the late 1990s; the reservoir has been converted to an art studio and the houses are in residential use. Overall the primary buildings are described as largely intact and well preserved. |
| Acreage | 21.5 |
| Coordinates | 35.43801, -81.25660 (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).
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 03001273.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19864900
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.