Wilkes Hosiery Mills
Why it's listed
Wilkes Hosiery Mills is a large industrial building on a hillside northeast of downtown North Wilkesboro, filling the western two thirds of a half-block at 407 F Street. Its sections, built between 1923 and about 1967, join into a single rectangle of roughly 89,481 square feet on four levels. The 1920s portions are common-bond brick with heavy timber interiors and low gabled fronts facing F Street, while a 1947 dye house addition and a later corrugated-metal addition extend the plant to the west. Large metal industrial windows light most rooms. The mill began in 1923 and grew quickly. The company bought adjoining lots, raised its authorized capital to $500,000 in 1927, and built an eastern addition that year. Hanes Hosiery Mills held a major share, and James G. Hanes served as vice president. By 1929 the plant employed upwards of four hundred local people. The building is now vacant, and it documents the growth of hosiery manufacturing in the town.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the mill as a locally significant industrial property tied to North Wilkesboro's hosiery manufacturing. It grew from a 1923 mill into a major employer with some four hundred workers by 1929, backed by capital from Hanes Hosiery Mills. Its building sections record the company's expansion over several decades.
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 08000369, listed April 30, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 407 F. St., North Wilkesboro |
|---|---|
| County | Wilkes County |
| Listed | April 30, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000369 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant/not in use; some interior rooms are described as vacant and windows and doors are boarded. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Coordinates | 36.16551, -81.14212 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 08000369.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q22061138
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.