South Carolina Department of Archives and History
National Register Properties in South Carolina

Rock Hill Cotton Factory, York County (215 Chatham St., Rock Hill)
S1081774603401 S1081774603402 S1081774603403 S1081774603404 S1081774603405 S1081774603406
Rock Hill
Cotton Factory
Left Facade
Rock Hill
Cotton Factory
Right Oblique
Rock Hill
Cotton Factory
Tower Detail
Rock Hill
Cotton Factory
Left Elevation
Fewell Cotton
Warehouse
Left Oblique
Fewell Cotton
Warehouse
Right Oblique

(Ostrow Textile Mill) The Rock Hill Cotton Factory, built in 1881, is significant for its leading role in the development of the textile industry in Rock Hill and for the major economic impact which this industry had on the town. The factory is also significant as an excellent example of an early textile building and of an architectural form that was repeated many times by later mills. As the cotton industry expanded in the 1870s, many communities in the Piedmont looked to financial investments and technology from New England to develop cotton manufacturing. An aggressive business community in Rock Hill set out to supply the necessary capital and labor locally. The investors recruited Captain A. D. Holler to build the mill. He used the Camperdown Mill in Greenville as a model for the new Rock Hill mill. Opening in 1881, the mill became the first steam-driven textile mill in South Carolina, and was the first mill in Rock Hill. Later, as electricity became available from the pioneering hydroelectric development of the Catawba River, the mill was converted. A number of additions have been made to the building. Listed in the National Register June 10, 1992. Boundary increase March 6, 2008.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition, the Historic Resources of Rock Hill, 1820-1935 includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

View the complete text of the nomination form for the boundary increase of this National Register Property.

Most National Register properties are privately owned and are not open to the public. The privacy of owners should be respected. Not all properties retain the same integrity as when originally documented and listed in the National Register due to changes and modifications over time.

Images and texts on these pages are intended for research or educational use. Please read our statement on use and reproduction for further information on how to obtain a photocopy or how to cite an item.


Images provided by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.