Textile Industry in Valley, Alabama, Valley, Chambers County, AL

Significance: The development of the cotton textile industry in Valley, Alabama (Chambers County) after 1866, exemplifies the development of the industry throughout the South, particularly the expansion of the southern textile industry from 1890-1920. The textile mills of Valley (Langdale, Riverdale, Fairfax and Shawmut) and nearby Lanett were all operated for many years by the West Point Manufacturing Company and provide a sampling of textile mill construction from early water-powered mills such as Riverdale (1866) to electrified mills such as Fairfax (1915-16). The mill villages of Valley, Alabama (Langdale, Riverview, Fairfax, and Shawmut) provide classic illustrations of the paternalistic southern textile mill village, its development and evolution. The Valley mills and villages are largely intact, although the recent closure of Riverdale Mill threaten the survival of an important part of the textile industry landscape in Valley.
Survey number: HAER AL-165
Building/structure dates: 1866 Initial Construction