Avalon, North Carolina
Avalon was a town in Rockingham County, North Carolina, in the United States. It was centered around a textiles mill constructed by Francis Henry Fries. In 1911 the mill burnt down. Most the population moved to Mayodan, North Carolina and the town was left abandoned.
History
Establishment
In 1887, Francis Henry Fries, a prominent businessman from Winston-Salem, constructed the Roanoke and Southern Railway, which stretched from his home town to Roanoke, Virginia. Seeking to develop industry along the rail line, Fries erected the Mayo Mill adjacent to the Mayo River in 1895 and established the town of Mayodan.[1] The Mayo Mill couldn't keep up with demand for yarn, so from 1899–1900 a new mill was constructed two miles to the north, taking the name Avalon, after Avalon, California.[2] At the time the four-story building was the largest textile mill in North Carolina. The south wall of the main building was made of wooden planks so it could be dismantled to allow for expansions and renovations.[3]
A village arose around the mill, taking its name. It was home to over 450 people, of whom over half worked in the mill.[4] In addition to the mill, the town consisted of a dam and artificial canal, 60 company houses, a boarding house, a hotel, a store, and a Moravian Church. Electricity was came from a water powered generator at the mill.[2] No formal government was ever established in Avalon, so most events were either centered around the church or the mill.[5]
Mill fire and aftermath
Just before 6:00 PM on June 15, 1911 a machine on the fourth floor overheated, starting a fire.[2] The mill had a modern fire sprinkler system, but the water pumps failed and the entire complex burnt down.[6] Though it was fully insured, Fries decided not to rebuild and instead reinvested in the Mayo Mill, transferring his employees and resources there.[2] All 60 of the company houses were put on logs and rolled by mules and horses to Mayodan.[7] The church was dismantled and its lumber was used for construction in Mayodan.[5] In 1916, Fries briefly returned to the site of the mill to dismantle the dyeing equipment for use in the Mayo Mill.[8]
The remains of Avalon are situated about a mile from U.S. Route 220 on private property.[9]
Citations
- ↑ Connor, Boyd & Hamilton 1919, p. 3
- 1 2 3 4 Battaglia 2015
- ↑ Aheron 1997, p. 13
- ↑ Graham 2011
- 1 2 Aheron 1997, p. 14
- ↑ Mayodan Diamond Jubilee Committee 1974, p. 2
- ↑ Aheron 1997, p. 26
- ↑ Causey & Smith 2004, p. 12
- ↑ Aheron 1997, p. 12
References
- Aheron, Piper (1997). From Avalon to Eden: A Postcard Tour of Rockingham County. Images of America (illustrated ed.). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780752408248.
- Battaglia, Danielle (14 June 2015). "THE DEATH OF A TOWN: Avalon". Greensboro News & Record. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
- Causey, Evelyn D.; Smith, Kathryn Gettings (December 2004). "Washington Mills-Mayodan Plant" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2015-02-01.
- Connor, R. D. W.; Boyd, William Kenneth; Hamilton, Joseph Grégoire de Roulhac (1919). History of North Carolina. 5 (illustrated ed.). Chicago and New York City: Lewis Publishing Co. pp. 2–4.
- Graham, Nick (16 September 2011). "The Avalon Mill Fire". Digital North Carolina Blog. North Carolina Digital Heritage Center. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- Mayodan, North Carolina: "75 Going on 200," 1899-1974. Mayodan, North Carolina: Mayodan Diamond Jubilee Committee. 1974.