mecklenburg COTTON MILL
Built between North Davidson Street and the main line of the Southern Railway, the Mecklenburg Mill went up at the height of North Carolina’s textile boom.
Its construction, along with that of Highland Park Mill No. 3, was reason enough for the Charlotte Observer to predict that, “North Charlotte will be one of the busiest and most populous parts of the city or suburbs.”
The owners of the mill declared bankruptcy not long after opening. In 1926, Mercury Mills bought the plant in foreclosure and gave the mill its popular name—Mercury Mill. The Johnston Mills Company, led by textile magnate C.W. Johnston, acquired the factory 15 years later, adding to a list of holdings that also included Highland Park Mill No. 1 and 3 and Johnston Manufacturing Co. The plant closed in the late 1960s.
Past Use
Textile mill, warehouse and storage
1905 – 1969
Current Use
The Lofts at Noda Mills
2015 – beyond
The mill was converted in 2015 into a workforce housing community and has as operated as such since then. Its historical significance and preserved state make it an important landmark within NoDa and the Mill District.