W. B. Davis Hosiery Mill, Industrial textile complex in Fort Payne, Alabama.
W. B. Davis Hosiery Mill is a three-story brick factory building in Fort Payne, Alabama. The structure displays Colonial Revival details, including 12-over-12 sash windows and an 85-foot chimney topped with a flared, corbeled design.
The building was constructed in 1889 for Alabama Builders' Hardware Manufacturing Company and was converted to a hosiery mill in 1909 under W. B. Davis ownership. This transition marked the beginning of textile manufacturing's dominance in the region.
The mill shaped Fort Payne's identity as a center of sock production and helped establish the city's reputation as the Sock Capital of the World. Walking through the spaces today, you can sense how deeply manufacturing was woven into the community's sense of itself.
The site is open to visitors as it houses commercial tenants including a restaurant and antiques shop. Visit during the business hours of these establishments to explore the historic building and see how its spaces are used today.
This is the only surviving nineteenth-century industrial building remaining in Fort Payne, making it a rare document of early Alabama manufacturing. Its preservation stands out sharply as the surrounding city has transformed over time.
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