A modern road runs through the remnants of rustic homes of the Henry River Mill Village in Hickory, North Carolina. Something is out of place!
Old Homes on a New Road
Out of Place
Tag Archives: Henry River Mill Village
Rustic Home with a Water Pump
A still standing home in the Henry River Mill Village depicts the style of buildings in that era including the provisioning of water
Rustic Home with a Water Pump
Hunger Games Fame
A brief breath of life came back to Henry River Mill Village in 2012 by way of fame and fortune—Hollywood thought the run-down village would serve as the perfect setting for the post-apocalyptic dystopia District 12 featured in the film The Hunger Games. The town was featured in several scenes including the house below that served as the home of Katniss Everdeen.
Hunger Games Fame
Still Standing
Some of the homes are in poor shape but still standing. There are plans to develop the Henry River Mill Village by restoring the buildings, making a few them into B&B homes, and converting the old company store into a bar and restaurant.
Falling Apart
Barely Standing
Village Homes
The residential area of the Henry River Mill Village consisted of approximately 35 small worker’s cottages. Twenty-one are still standing today. These 1-1/2 story duplex houses were laid out along the steep contours of the river’s northern bank. The workers lived in two-family boarding houses or workers’ cottages built by the company, which were leased at nominal fees.
Built on a Slope
A Two Family Home
Homes from a Different Era
Henry River is an example of history that seems so distant, yet it can still be seen, touched and heard with our own eyes and ears.
Built as a planned community, the village was a self-contained complex with its own mill, dam, water and fire-protection systems, and company store. In later years the village gained amenities such as walkways, terraced green spaces, and field stone retaining walls.
Homes from a Different Era
Doogaloo
Doogaloos, also known as scrip, were coins created to be used as currency in Henry River Mill Village. Doogaloos could be used only in the company store and the amount of scrips issued to tide workers between pay periods would be deducted from their paychecks. Made of zinc, Doogaloos came in different denominations.
The Doogaloo below is for 50 cents and is now used as the logo for the Henry River Mill Village,
Henry River Mill Village Logo
Henry River Mill Village
Henry River Mill Village is a small textile village in Hickory, North Carolina. It is an unaltered but now-decaying example of an early industrial environment in Burke County.
While the Henry River area was known for it’s water-power as early as 1860, the most relevant historical significance came from the purchase and development of the land in the early 1900’s. The Aderholdt and Rudisill families partnered to establish the Henry River Manufacturing Company, which was a cotton yarn manufacturer that opened it’s doors in 1905. During its initial operation, the Company erected 35 worker houses, a two-story boarding house, a bridge, a brick company store, a power producing dam, and the original 3 story brick mill building where the yarn was produced.
Henry River Mill Village
Photos by Ravi 