History

Lincoln Mills’ historical importance is invigorating and inspiring, spanning and exemplifying, possibly as no other buildings in the city, the transition of Huntsville from a ubiquitous cotton mill town to the “Rocket City.”

In 1901, Madison Spinning Company laid the foundation for a mill on the west side of the railroad tracks across from Dallas Manufacturing. This operation became insolvent and ceased operation in 1906, and the property reopened in 1908 as Abingdon Mill. In 1918, it was purchased by William Lincoln Barrell of Lowell, MA, and was known from that time until 1955 as Lincoln Mills of Alabama.

 

After the purchase, Lincoln Mills underwent a tremendous building program, with Mill #3 being built in 1927 and the Finishing Plant (Dye House) being built in 1929-1930. The mill complex grew to a substantial size, approaching 800,000 square feet, and was the largest of the seven major Huntsville cotton mills.

 

After a series of strikes, the property ceased operation as cotton textile mills in 1955, closing its 54-year history in that capacity.

 

The four mills, and their accessory buildings such as the Well House, Chemical Vault and the Dye House, did not sit empty for long. In February 1957, Huntsville Industrial Associates, an alliance of 35 local business and government leaders led by Carl T. Jones, purchased the property, renamed it the “Huntsville Industrial Center,” and immediately saw positive returns on their investment when Brown Engineering, a Huntsville firm expanding through government contracts, leased the former Mill #3. Milton Cummings was president of Brown Engineering, and had grown up in the Lincoln Mill Village. In July 1958, Chrysler, which had won the contract to construct the Army’s Jupiter rocket, decided to locate in the Industrial Center as well, occupying the former Mill #2.

 

Additional contractors serving the space and military industrial complex located in the revived and repurposed Huntsville Industrial Center, which became locally known as the “HIC” building. Much work occurred at the H.I.C. that was instrumental in helping put men on the Moon. Over time, however, these companies, including NASA, relocated either to Redstone Arsenal or the new Research Park that was developed on Huntsville’s western edge in the cotton fields that formerly supplied cotton to Lincoln Mills. As these companies left, their space was either abandoned, or rented as storage, small office and light industrial.

 

The largest fire in Huntsville’s history destroyed much of the complex in February, 1980. However, Mill #3 and the Dye House, the last of the complex to be built and conceived and built as “fire proof”, fulfilled their design intent and survived the fire. The Well House and Chemical Vault were on the southernmost side of the site, and these, along with the Lincoln Mills Headquarters Office, survived as well. After the fire, upon realizing how difficult and expensive it would be to demolish the remaining structures due to their heavy concrete construction, these remaining buildings were sold to a tenant, Robin Ebaugh, who had an operation in one of the mill buildings that had burned. The family partnership led by Robin Ebaugh owned the property for the next quarter-of-a-century (1982-2007.) Robin single-handedly marketed, managed, and maintained the property. Some of the work that he performed largely by himself was border-line Herculean. For instance, in an effort to conserve energy, coupled with a lack of funds to restore the large number of rolled-steel and glass windows, Robin fabricated and installed sheet metal coverings on each opening, often laboring in the evening by floodlight.

 

Lincoln Mills was sold by the Ebaughs in 2007 to a new family partnership, led by Jim Byrne. Better-suited owners would be hard to find. Jim has stated that “these buildings deserve to be restored.” And, indeed, they do. 

 

We invite you to join us as a visitor or as a neighbor at Lincoln Mills. The restoration will be in an authentic setting, envisioned to feature:

 

  • Lincoln Mills - Huntsville Industrial Center & Dr. Pepper Museums
  • Organic farming and food processing
  • Local flavor restaurants
  • An independent movie theater
  • An event facility
  • A Sustainability Center focused on techniques and technologies that will lead us to live more lightly on the land
  • Loft homes, offices and galleries, for rent and for sale
  • And a guaranteed interesting mix of small business operators and loft dwellers.
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Entries in Civil War (1)

Monday
26Jan2009

The Finishing Plant was never finished...

DateMonday, January 26, 2009 at 8:36PM

Most American High School students know that the “high water mark” of the Confederacy was the point at which Pickett’s soldiers smashed into Union troops at Cemetery Ridge after marching, then fast-stepping under devastating fire, across a nearly mile-wide field at Gettysburg.

The high water mark of the textile industry in Huntsville is embodied in the Finishing Plant at Lincoln Mills. Construction on this plant was started in 1929, the high water mark of the economic boom now known as the Roaring 20s, and this was the last major building related to the textile industry to be built in Huntsville.

However, the plant was never finished, the victim of the precipitous economic decline known as the Great Depression. The Finishing Plant was actually designed as multiple finishing plants with shared walls and drains. It appears that the design called for three additional bays, and one of the "mini-finishing plants" was partially complete when construction ceased, not to be restarted and finished.

 

 

Until now.

 

The partially-complete finishing plant will be completed as a repurposed loft that elegantly incorporates a slew of sustainable features. Though the description “green” has been severely diluted through overuse, this loft will be an energy and resource miser due to its passive design.

During all seasons, it will grow bountiful harvests of vegetables and fruits in its greenhouse, and on its easily accessible roof. Greywater and rainwater will be utilized extensively for irrigation.

During the winter, it will be largely heated by solar gain to the main living quarters through the greenhouse.

During the summer, the loft will be comfortably cool due to the fact that the walls are one foot thick concrete, and are underground on all sides but one.

This will quite possibly be the most unique loft in the southeastern USA.

Take a moment to take a tour.  If you like a scene, such as the helicopeter view, you can pause it at that view:

 


Untitled from Greg Jazayeri on Vimeo.

 

 

 

 

 

AuthorWayne | Comment2 Comments |
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