Taylor's Mill
Why it's listed
On Moccasin Creek at the Nash-Johnston county line, Taylor's Mill is a two-story frame grist mill built over the water on stone piers and a stone foundation. The present structure is thought to date from the 1850s, when Captain Alsey J. Taylor owned the site, though milling there goes back to James Lee's mills of the 1760s. The mill was a turbine-driven grist mill, and its heavy mortise-and-tenon timber framing and heart pine weatherboarding survive. It is regarded as one of very few nineteenth-century frame mills remaining in the coastal plain of the state. The site once held a wagon-wheel factory, sawmill, blacksmith and paint shops, and a general store, and it was a community gathering place. The mill closed around 1955 when state safety rules required costly upgrades. A wooden dam beneath the later stone dam is also considered significant.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the mill represents the small water-powered industrial sites that served the agrarian economy of North Carolina. Its heavy timber frame construction and turbine-powered design are described as rare survivors of mid-nineteenth-century mills in the coastal plain. The site also has a documented milling history dating to the 1760s and the millpond and a buried wooden dam are said to be likely sources of archeological and engineering information.
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 80002889, listed May 28, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SR 1120 W of SR 1124, Middlesex |
|---|---|
| County | Nash County |
| Listed | May 28, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002889 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1850-1899 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used for storage and in advanced deterioration; the document says the building is unsafe and the owners seek help stabilizing it. |
| Acreage | 100 |
| Coordinates | 35.78223, -78.32892 (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 80002889.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23073326
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.