Belton Yarn Mill
Also known as: #37; Griggs International,Inc.
Why it's listed
Built in 1900 at a cost of $65,000, the Belton Yarn Mill is a two-story limestone factory on East Fourth Street in Belton, Texas. A group of local businessmen funded it to add manufacturing to the cotton trade and processing already active in Bell County. The mill began operating in 1901 with 3,200 spindles and 100 looms, then switched to yarn production and expanded to 7,000 spindles. It closed after the financial panic of 1907, stood empty for nine years, and reopened under a group from North Carolina. It apparently ran through the 1920s and closed when the county's cotton industry collapsed. The building is built of large rough-cut limestone blocks in irregular ashlar courses, with large multi-pane metal windows and segmental-arched portals for moving materials. Though unadorned, its heavy masonry is notable. It survives as one of few remaining cotton processing buildings in Belton and a rare early industrial structure in Central Texas.
Significance in brief: The nomination ties the mill to the cotton industry that shaped Belton's economy from the 1880s to the 1920s (Criterion A, Industry). It also presents the building as an intact turn-of-the-century industrial structure with distinctive heavy ashlar limestone construction (Criterion C, Architecture). Early industrial buildings of this kind are described as rare in Central Texas.
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 90001899, listed December 26, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 805 E. Fourth St., Belton |
|---|---|
| County | Bell County |
| Listed | December 26, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001899 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900 - 1940 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown; the builder was most likely a local contractor |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function are both listed as a manufacturing facility. The original spinning machinery has been removed, but the building is described as largely intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.05789, -97.45442 (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 90001899.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001559
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.