Thomas M. Holt Manufacturing Company Mill

Contributors:
Dates:

1895

Location:
Haw River, Alamance County
Street Address:

SW corner US 70-A and SR 1935, Haw River, NC

Status:

Standing

Type:

Industrial

Note:

The millsite on the Haw River had powered cotton mills since the 1840s, and its promise was boosted when the North Carolina Rail Road crossed the river at this location. Edwin M. Holt and his son Thomas acquired the property in 1858. After the Civil War, Thomas Holt greatly expanded the plant. The factory planned by Makepeace and Company in the 189s began with a 1-story section of standard mill construction. This was followed by a large 2-story section that features V-shaped or “zig-zag” walls designed by Makepeace; the form had been patented in 1894 by Rhode Island mill engineer Charles Praray to maximize natural light in the mill. Only a few were built before the use of electric lights made the method obsolete.