Spray Industrial Historic District, Industrial historic district in Eden, North Carolina, US.
The Spray Industrial Historic District is an industrial area in Eden that encompasses roughly 70 buildings, 9 structures, and one object spread across about 151 acres. The district houses eight textile mill complexes, including the Morehead Cotton Mill and Nantucket Mills, which define the industrial character of the region.
The district emerged as a center of textile manufacturing and was shaped by the founding of several major mills that drove economic growth in Rockingham County. During World War I, factories including the Carolina Cotton and Woolen Mills produced blankets and other materials for military use.
The district reflects a community built around textile mills, where workers and their families organized daily life around factory operations. Today visitors can still see how closely residential areas were linked to the production sites.
The district can be explored on foot since the buildings and structures are spread throughout a cohesive area. It helps to start with an overview to understand the different mills and their locations along the Smith River.
The Smith River Dam and Spray Power Canal were engineering structures specifically designed to power multiple mill operations, showing how water energy shaped industrial development. This infrastructure remains today and tells the story of dependence on waterpower in that era.
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