Nowhere in North Carolina other than the Glencoe Mill Village in Alamance County can you take a step back in time to an old mill village that looks much the same as it did in the late 1800s when it was thriving. The impeccably preserved village even still sports the old Italianate-style three-story original mill built around 1880.
Driving into Glencoe Mill Village from Burlington is like traveling through time.
Each of the single family mill-built homes are lovingly cared for to this day.
The village was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The homes and social buildings for the mill workers originally included 41 structures. Some had detached kitchens that have since been modified. There was also a lodge that no longer exists.
What you will find is the old mill ruins. The structure is located at the end of Glencoe Street along the Haw River.
The site of the mill was originally used for a grist mill prior to the construction of the cotton mill. The dam along the river helped power both facilities.
Today, the old Glencoe Mill Admin Offices and Company Store have been converted into the state's only comprehensive textile mill museum.
The Textile Heritage Museum was begun in 2002. The 6,000-square-foot space showcases items and memorabilia from mills that were located all over North Carolina. No visit to Glencoe Mill Village would be complete without a stop at this museum. Learn more about it including hours of operation by visiting the museum's official website.
The next time you're in the Burlington area, make it a point to drive over to the Glencoe Mill Village.
Have you already visited this impeccably preserved mill village in North Carolina? Fire up some feedback in our comments!
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