George, R. W., Mill
Also known as: Bob George's Mill; Spencer Mill
Why it's listed
Built in 1881 on Big Creek in northwestern Stokes County, this two-story frame mill was erected by Robert W. George, a prominent landowner, industrialist and Presbyterian minister. It has weatherboard siding, a gable roof, a fieldstone foundation and a concrete dam upstream. For roughly half a century it ground corn meal, flour and cattle feed for farm families around Francisco. Around 1940 the grinding ended. During World War II the building became Spencer Mills, producing parachute fabric for the federal government, and three frame additions were made to house machinery, yarn storage and worker and family entrances. A short period of sock manufacturing followed, and the mill has been idle since. Despite those changes, its original form remains clear. Corn mills were once common in the county, with thirty-one listed in 1884, but only four are known to survive, and this is the oldest. Its local importance to the county's industry, between 1881 and 1935, supported its listing.
Significance in brief: The mill is a rare survivor of Stokes County's once-flourishing corn milling industry and the oldest of only four known surviving rural corn mills in the county. It meets Criterion A for local significance in industry. Its period of significance runs from construction in 1881 to 1935, when its long-time owner died and grain milling began to wind down.
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 97001199, listed October 10, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NC 89, 0.6 mi NE of jct. of NC 89 and NC 66, Francisco |
|---|---|
| County | Stokes County |
| Listed | October 10, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97001199 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1881-1935 |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The mill has stood idle since a brief post-war sock-making use. Stabilization has been done and restoration for adaptive re-use is under way. |
| Acreage | 4.2 |
| Coordinates | 36.49267, -80.39219 (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.
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 97001199.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19946037
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.