The mill was built in the early 1900's, and was a prime producer of cotton textiles. Many of the mill workers lived in nearby cottages rented from the family that owned the mill, and a small village grew up around the facility. The history of the area includes a legacy of child labor, union conflict, and other somewhat unsavory details, though industrial accidents were infrequent and the safety record remained high during the entire operation of the mill.

Though at one point in time the largest producer of corduroy textiles, profit margins began to fall in the later portion of the twentieth-century, and the mill was sold by the family who owned it to a larger company. One of the sons of this family went to college to study architecture, and submitted a design of the mill as a site for apartments and condominiums as his senior project. In the mid-nineties, a tornado struck the mill, causing some damage and blowing off the roof of one of the structures. Faced with extensive repair costs on top of a business that was growing increasingly unprofitable, the company that owned it sold the buildings and property back to the original family.

The former student of architecture went to work, and within six years had restored the building into spacious and one-of-a-kind living spaces. Complete with terraced courtyards, antique wood flooring, koi ponds and walking trails, the former industrial space was transformed into a peaceful, modern, yet historic work of art. A revitalization of the former mill community ensued, and before long the sleepy post-industrial town became home to a general store offering five-star, organic and locally grown dining options, a charter high school with an environmental and sustainable focus, a canoe and kayak company, puppet theatre, post office, gas station, hair salon, and fitness studio. Added to the local wineries, farms, and antique stores, the area quickly developed into a rural gem, arguably the best kept secret of North Carolina!

