Restoration of Lenoir Cotton Mill garners statewide honor

Nov. 16—LENOIR — Yorke Lawson and Tom Niemann (Lenoir) have been named the 2022 winners of a Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit, presented annually by Preservation North Carolina, for the restoration of the Lenoir Cotton Mill.

Each year, the honor awards recognize outstanding people, projects, businesses, and organizations in the field of historic preservation across the state. Yorke and Tom were honored in Winston-Salem on Oct. 26th as part of PNC's annual historic preservation conference. The award ceremony featured a presentation, which can be viewed at PreservationNC.org/experience/awards/, followed by a beautiful reception at the Historic Brookstown Inn.

The Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit are named in honor of the late Dr. Gertrude S. Carraway, a noted New Bern historian and preservationist. Presented since 1974, a maximum of twelve awards are given each year. The Awards of Merit give deserved recognition to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated a genuine commitment to historic preservation through extraordinary leadership, research, philanthropy, promotion, and/or significant participation in preservation. Each recipient receives a framed certificate.

Commencing production in January of 1902, Lenoir Cotton Mill was once Caldwell County's largest textile manufacturing facility. As one of only a few surviving early 20th century textile mills in the county, it has maintained an important standing in its community for its rich history of textile production.

Located just south of Lenoir's commercial center, the plant was designed by Stuart Warren Cramer, a prolific mill engineer who designed many other mills throughout the region. The mill was built in 1902. One year later, a sizeable addition was added, doubling the mill's production. It remained the county's largest mill through the 1920s, until it was sold in 1939.

Blue Bell, Inc., a Greensboro-based work clothes manufacturer, leased the mill, using it as a vital satellite plant to fulfill contracts for military apparel as well as the retail market.

Blue Bell's workforce was predominantly female, affording women the opportunity to hold a wide variety of positions within the company. Blue Bell utilized the plant until 1983.

Yorke Lawson and Tom Niemann acquired the property for renovation in 2016. Rowhouse Architects of Asheville rendered plans for the rehabilitation executed by C. T. Wilson Construction Company.

The complex, now called Blue Bell at Lenoir Mills, was rehabilitated in 2021 to create 46 one- and two-bedroom apartments, and provides market-rate housing within walking distance of downtown. The integrity of this fascinating structure was beautifully preserved. Interior features such as triple-thickness wood floors and kalamein doors were also preserved. Completing the rehabilitation is the preservation of the round, 100-foot-tall, freestanding 1902 smokestack.

2022 Preservation North Carolina Honor Awards winners include:

The Ruth Coltrane Cannon Award

Eugene Brown, Durham

The Robert E. Stipe Professional Award

Michelle McCullough, Winston-Salem

The Stedman Incentive Grant

Historic Baltimore School, Cramerton

The L. Vincent Lowe, Jr., Business Award

GBX Group LLC, Cleveland, OH

The Minnette C. Duffy Landscape Preservation Award

Friends of Odd Fellows Cemetery, Winston-Salem

The Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit

Blue Bell (Lenoir Cotton) Mill, Lenoir

Brandon Bunn and Doug Halterman for the Norfleet House, Tarboro

Capitola Mills, Marshall

End of Days Distillery, Wilmington

Jacob and Nancy Keeler for the Jones House, Milton

Larry Atkins, Charlotte

Mt. Hope Cemetery, Raleigh

Natalie Pass-Miller for the Historic Magnolia House, Greensboro

Reynolda House Roof & Gardens Restoration, Winston-Salem

Seven Sounds Brewing Company for the Hurdle Building, Elizabeth City

Sunnicrest House, Asheville

Union Station, Winston-Salem