Roberdel Mill No. 1 Company Store
Why it's listed
Beside the pond of Roberdel Mill No. 1, three miles northeast of downtown Rockingham, stands a one-story brick company store thought to date from about 1884. Its front and rear elevations have matching three-bay divisions, with sixteen-over-eight sash windows in segmentally arched openings flanking central double doors with transoms. Brick denticulated courses follow the gabled tin roof, and the west wall has five clerestory windows. Inside, some original shelves and counters survive. The store served mill village workers, who bought food, clothing and hardware there. It was sold by the mill to a private couple in 1949 and is now used for storage. The mill itself burned in 1970, leaving its shell across the pond. The store is described as the finest of eleven company stores once serving Rockingham-area mill villages. It is linked to textile promoter Robert L. Steele, Sr., and to the county's textile economy.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the architecturally most significant of eleven company stores that once served mill villages near Rockingham; the others were lost to fire, demolition or remodeling. It is tied to Robert L. Steele, Sr., promoter of the county's textile industry, and to the textile economy of Richmond County. It is also presented as an excellent example of late nineteenth century commercial construction.
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 83001907, listed September 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1106 Roberdel Rd., Rockingham |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond County |
| Listed | September 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001907 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Unoccupied and used for storage; condition listed as fair, with the interior retaining some original display shelves and counters. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.97179, -79.74430 (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 83001907.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987841
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.