louise cotton mill
when it opened in 1897, louise cotton mill was charlotte's seventh and largest mill. it remained the largest until construction of the nearby highland park mill no. 3.
Past Use
Cotton cloth and yarn mill;
Various uses
1897 – 1957;
1959 – 2015
Its name and the name of its founding company came from Blanche Louise Chadwick, wife of president Hubert Chadwick. Originally built to be a yarn mill, it opened its doors instead as a plant for printed cotton cloth. Additions in 1900 and 1901 gave the mill its characteristic U-shape.
The Chadwick-Hoskins company, which assumed control of the mill beginning in 1908, received praise for their ongoing village modernization efforts, including the introduction of electricity, plumbing, and gas. The mill houses surrounding Louise Mill were highly regarded for how well they were maintained by both the workers and the textile companies. The homes sat on large lots, which often held huge vegetable and flower gardens, and sometimes even livestock.
Current Use
The Lofts at
Hawthorne Mill
2018 – beyond
Textile production here ceased in 1959. The building was later used as a warehouse by both Eckerd Drugs, Inc. and Hanford’s, Inc., a wholesale florist. In 2018 and 2019, the mill was converted into an apartment community called The Lofts at Hawthorne Mill. The mill is on the National Register of Historic Places.