Above Photo by Joey Seawell
What a night! Teams brought their A-game to the Trash Bash competition, transforming repurposed materials into stunning works of art—right before our eyes. With unexpected challenges, a surprise "mystery" box, and plenty of creative energy, it was an evening full of fun and ingenuity.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and to those who captured these great moments! Check out the gallery below, courtesy of Jamilla Pinder, to relive the night.
Join the Office of Sustainability and Resilience and Reconsidered Goods for a Trash Bash competition at Revolution Mill, this Saturday, March 1!
Join the ultimate creative showdown as teams turn repurposed materials into masterpiece installations - right before your eyes! Teams will compete to build an art piece using recycled and reused materials. There are challenges along the way and a "mystery" box of items to incorporate. The winning team will walk away with a one-of-a-kind Reconsidered Goods Reuse Trophy.
Event details:
March 1, 2025
6 - 8 pm
The Atrium at Revolution Mill, 2005 Yanceyville St. Greensboro, NC 27405.
With huge red brick smokestacks that jut in the sky, Revolution Mill is hard to miss. The 800,000-square-foot former flannel mill was one of the dozens of industrial mills in Greensboro, North Carolina.
When fully operating, the mill was a cornerstone of the local economy. It changed the lives of thousands of residents, providing consistent work for decades and permanently shaping the landscape. The Cone Mill Corporation, which owned Revolution Mill, built employee housing in the surrounding hills. Today, the simple one-story “mill houses” dot northeast Greensboro.
But in 1984, with demand for flannel plummeting, the mill ceased operations. For nearly two decades, it sat in disrepair.
Durham-based Self-Help Credit Union began as the lender to the property’s developer. Their role was to find money to support the project—not take the lead on it. But in 2008, the Great Recession threw a wrench in the project and halted further progress.
Self-Help began walking their clients through foreclosure — but instead of going ahead with the process, Self-Help decided to develop the property themselves. By 2012, the historic property officially belonged to the credit union. With the textile industry gone, Self-Help decided to restore Revolution Mill and give it a new life as commercial and retail space, eventually adding a housing component with industrial loft-style apartments.
Taking on a 50-acre property amidst a real estate crisis would be a huge risk for most banks. But Self-Help isn’t a typical banking operation. As a community development financial institution, its primary goal isn’t to line its investors’ pockets. Their stakeholders are rooted in the local communities they serve, like Greensboro. That means that in their capacity as property investors, real estate developers, builders, and project collaborators, everything they do has to make both economic and cultural sense for the community.
A lot made sense to them about the property, despite its size. There is still today a generation of residents who remember working at Revolution Mill. The property was once the biggest flannel mill in the world, according to UNC Greensboro researchers. It also helped that Self-Help Founder Martin Eakes was born and raised in the city, and that the bank had just completed its downtown nonprofit center just two miles from the site. The way Self-Help’s leaders saw it, it would have been a waste of historic, cultural, commercial, and residential space if Self-Help didn’t step in.
Emma Haney, the current director of business and project management for Self-Help, was just an intern in the early days of Revolution Mill. “It’s really because of our role as a lender, and because we also had this capacity as a community real estate developer to kind of step in and take on such a large project and a complicated, credit investment structure that we consider doing,” she said.
There are more than 140 businesses and nonprofits now operating in the building including restaurants, cafes, art galleries, and event spaces, according to Haney. In the summer of 2024, a free city trolley that runs directly from the property to downtown Greensboro made Revolution Mill even more accessible to the public.
“It’s gigantic just in terms of the impact of space that was sitting there vacant before, but is now active in some way and bringing people to [the mill],” said Haney. “You can count the people that live there, and you can count the businesses that live there, and those are the people day in and day out on campus.”
Self-Help Ventures Fund is excited to announce two office suites (302 and 402) available for lease in the latest phase of Revolution Mill’s $38 million redevelopment project, part of a larger $150 million total redevelopment. These thoughtfully designed spaces offer a blend of private offices and open work areas, ideal for businesses looking to thrive in a dynamic creative community.
Each Spec Suite totals approximately 3,640 SF, and features:
6 private offices
1 Executive suite or conference room
Large open area for reception & workstations
Amenities: Includes complimentary access to conference and meeting rooms, fitness gym, numerous canteens, on site galleries, museums and walking path on the 45-acre mixed use community redevelopment
Surrounding Businesses: Located in a vibrant section of Revolution Mill, the ground floor features Restoration Med Spa, Cure X Salon, JS Jewelry Brand, and the upcoming 6,000 SF Solo Taco, an authentic taqueria open for lunch to late night.
Join established companies like Elevate Textiles, CT Wilson Construction, Shamrock Capital Partners, Priestley Management Company, and Novapath Supply Chain Systems in making 2005 Revolution Mill your business home.
KAU Restaurant, a cherished part of the Greensboro dining scene, is embarking on an exciting new chapter as owners Kayne and Jill Fisher officially announce the sale of the restaurant to Joe and Lee Staehly, the respected owners of Pepper Moon.
Since its inception, KAU has been known for its exceptional cuisine, warm hospitality, and distinctive dining experience within the historic Revolution Mill. Under the leadership of Kayne and Jill Fisher, the restaurant has flourished as a beloved destination for food lovers, community gatherings, and special occasions.
“We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of our patrons, staff, and the entire Greensboro community. We are honored to have been part of the rebirth of Revolution Mill and grow the KAU brand to be known for great food,” said Kayne Fisher. “While it's bittersweet for Jill and me to make this move, we are ready at this stage in our lives to pass along KAU to another company and return to our roots focusing on smaller concepts. It has been an honor to bring our vision to life at KAU and we are confident that Pepper Moon will continue to build on the restaurant’s success while bringing their own passion and expertise to the table.”
Joe and Lee Staehly, well-known for their outstanding work with Pepper Moon Catering, bring decades of business and culinary experience with a deep commitment to exceptional service. Their leadership in catering, venues and events, combined with their appreciation for KAU’s legacy, makes them the perfect fit to lead the restaurant into its next phase. This strategic move marks a significant step in Pepper Moon’s growth trajectory, strengthening its position in the market and enhancing its ability to deliver innovative solutions to its customers. Pepper Moon will own and operate KAU starting on February 1.
“Kayne and Jill have built something truly special, and we look forward to honoring their vision while introducing new and exciting elements that reflect our love for great food and community.”
“We are thrilled about the synergies between KAU’s restaurant expertise and the event success of Pepper Moon, as both can learn from and enhance the other,” said Joe Staehly. “Kayne and Jill have built something truly special, and we look forward to honoring their vision while introducing new and exciting elements that reflect our love for great food and community.”
Revolution Mill and both companies are working closely together to ensure a seamless transition. Pepper Moon’s plan is to maintain KAU’s signature offerings while exploring opportunities for innovation and enhanced guest experiences at the market, dining and private events, and the current staff will remain ensuring that guests continue to enjoy the same high-quality dining experience they have come to love.
Nick Piornack, Revolution Mill's General Manager and owner representative for the non-profit Self-Help, the owner of the redevelopment notes, "We couldn't be happier that two well-known entities and husband wife team operators will keep this outstanding concept locally owned at the campus which is home to 150 businesses, 180 residents and 1500 visitors daily to the 45-acre mixed-use campus".
Revolution Mill invites the community to a Pumpkin Pop-UP at the Docks on Thursday, October 10th from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM. This fun-filled afternoon event will provide an opportunity for the Revolution Mill, and larger community, to come together to celebrate Fall, enjoy seasonal activities, and explore the vibrant and historic mill campus. The Pumpkin Pop-Up at The Docks event is free and open to the public. From 4:00-6:00 pm, the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce will join the event with their new networking adventure series “On the Go @ Revolution Mill.”
Pop-UP Pumpkin Patch: Shop for your perfect pumpkin and local seasonal goods to embrace the fall season.
Free Photo Booth: Capture memorable moments with your team members, family and friends at this interactive by Joy Squad Photo Experience NC.
Fun Games: Giant Jenga, connect four, hoola hoops and more!
Fall Treats for Purchase: Indulge in delicious seasonal goodies.
Patio Area Furniture Reveal: Revolution Mill will unveil its latest investment in the campus—a newly designed public patio space and furnishings that will be open for all to enjoy. The Docks space is part of the ongoing development of the 45-acre campus, which is anticipated to become a social district in the spring of 2025.
Reconsidered Goods Fall Crafts: Get creative with fall-themed crafts provided by local re-use, non-profit Reconsidered Goods.
Scavenger Hunt (4:00-5:00 PM): Learn about the fascinating history of Revolution Mill through a thirty-minute self-guided scavenger hunt, hosted from 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM. Participants will have the chance to win fun prizes with a completed card.
Greensboro Chamber of Commerce On The Go @ Revolution Mill (4:00-6:00PM): Meet Chamber members at the Revolution Mill at this new networking series hosted by the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce. Exhibitors will share information about their businesses and services.
Extend the festivities with Grapes & Grain Tavern and Kau Restaurant offering an Oktoberfest celebration from 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM. Enjoy German-inspired meals, beverages, and lively entertainment. Tickets available through https://grapesandgrainstavern.com/.
All ages are welcome: Join residents, commercial tenants, and the Revolution Mill community for a few hours of fun, learning, and connection at one of Greensboro’s most dynamic landmarks.
Parking: Enter the campus via Textile Drive off Yanceyville Street. Use “2005 Revolution Mill Drive” for GPS locator.
Event Location: This event will be held at “The Docks”, located between the 2005 and 1250 Revolution Mill buildings.
Kau, at Revolution Mill, is thrilled to announce an exciting expansion and revamp of its services at Revolution Mill. This transformation more than doubles the capacity in their Market and Butcher shop with the addition of a deli and seafood case, along with a revamped dine-in menu, and expanded private event spaces.
Deli and Seafood Addition
Beginning August 6, the expanded Kau Market will now offer a deli which will include made-to-order sandwiches, quick grabs, and takeaway trays. Patrons can choose from a variety of subs, as well as deli favorites like chicken and tuna salad available in convenient sizes. Online preorders will also be available soon for added convenience. The seafood case will include fresh fish, scallops and shellfish.
Enhanced Dine-In Experience
Kau’s dine-in service will now be focused on the indoor bar area and adjacent seating inside, offering a tweaked menu with weekly features alongside the popular staples. The bar area will also host a new raw seafood bar, featuring oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp, and occasional low country boils.
Private Event Space
Kau is also excited to introduce a new private event space within the former dining room,
"The Main Floor " perfect for hosting gatherings and celebrations. Private gatherings can be accommodated at the Main Floor dining room or in the upstairs Mezzanine. Private Events | Kau | Greensboro, NC (kaugreensboro.com)
Pop-Up Dinners
Pop-up dinners will be more frequent, building on the success of previous events like the "build-your-own ramen buffet bar". Upcoming events include a Wild Game Night in August, and dates to be announced for a Seafood Boil, and Pig and Oyster Roasts.
A New Dining Model
"The traditional restaurant model has evolved, and it's time for a new approach," says Kayne Fisher, Kau's visionary owner. "At Kau, we are committed to providing an interactive food experience, allowing guests to engage with the many facets of our culinary offerings."
Kayne, along with his dedicated management team and staff, are eager to share this new model and look forward to offering guests a unique and engaging dining experience.
New Operating Hours
Market: Tuesday-Saturday 11 AM - 7 PM, Sunday 11 AM - 4 PM
Deli: Tuesday-Saturday 11 AM - 3 PM
Dine-In: Tuesday-Saturday (Kitchen 4 PM - 9 PM, Bar 4 PM - 10 PM)
Last week Greensboro Transit Agency (GTA) extended the route of the Hopper beyond the Elm Street corridor. It now includes Moses Cone Hospital, the State Street shopping and dining district, and Revolution Mill, an office and residential complex.
The free transit service debuted last summer and wrapped up its first year in June.
GTA marketing and communications manager Kevin Elwood says they’ve learned some things from the first year’s usage, and that led to changes in addition to the expanded route.
“We realized that ridership dropped off significantly during the winter months," he says. "So we decided going forward, we were going to make the trolley seasonal, meaning that it will run through the end of October, and then it will take a hiatus until April.”
Elwood says the savings from not offering the free service in the off-season helped pay for the expanded route.
Because the trolley will go farther, riders may have to wait longer for pickups, he says. A trolley will likely come by about every quarter-hour instead of every 10 minutes.
Elwood says in its first year the Hopper provided more than 52,000 rides.
Beginning Thursday, July 4, the Hopper Trolley route will extend from downtown, making stops at Moses Cone Hospital campus, State Street and Revolution Mill. See the new brochure here. And, get live updates on the trolley’s whereabouts here.
Hours of Operation:
Thursday - Saturday: 12 noon - 12 midnight
Sunday: 12 noon - 10 pm
Frequency: The trolley arrives every 12-15 minutes during operating hours:
Route and Stops:
Approximately every block along Elm Street between Fisher Avenue and Carolyn Coleman Way. Please note that for safety, the Hopper will only stop at signed stops.
For safety, trolley stops at signed stops only. Vehicles are equipped for persons with disabilities. Service animals welcomed. For more information, visit greensboro-nc.gov/Hopper
Revolution Mill is a mixed-use development in Greensboro that has a little bit of everything – history, culture and modern amenities.
And, for those who want to experience the very latest incarnation of the Mill, they’re invited to come out for a community celebration – “Summer Tide at the Stacks” – on Thursday, June 20, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Set your GPS to 2005 Yanceyville Street if you somehow don’t already know where this famous Greensboro landmark is located.
This celebration will feature live music, local artisan booths, food and a lot of family-friendly activities.
For those who don’t know, June 20 is the first day of summer, and this is a way for Revolution Mill to give area residents a chance to kick the season off in style.
The popular Patrick Rock Band will perform a wide variety of music while those in attendance can shop, play games, mingle and explore booths with items for sale by local artists and artisans. There will also be booths manned by community groups providing information on area programs.
If you aren’t into art or games, you can get some “snacks around the stacks” by visiting the food trucks: Hot Dog Central and Sunset Slush.
There are, also, of course, indoor dining options as well. Guests can choose from Kau restaurant (reservations for Kau are suggested), Peace of Her by Lou (which offers paninis, salads and smoothies), or Cugino Forno which will serve up some wood-fired pizza among other goodies.
The highlight of the evening will be the grand opening of Grapes & Grains Speakeasy Tavern. Attendees are invited to celebrate this latest addition to Revolution Mill.
The tavern is said to offer “a unique Old-world European experience with a modern twist.”
Missed the event? Check out a recap of the historic celebration of the 2005 Revolution Mill Opening + Ribbon Cutting event!
Check out a few shots from last week’s Ribbon Cutting! Or, learn more about the event here.
Photo from the 2005 Ribbon Cutting Event
The owners of Revolution Mill recently marked the second phase of development at the campus with the opening of a new retail, apartment and office building.
Officially known as 2005 Revolution Mill, the five-story, 145,000-square-foot building is located at 2005 Yanceyville Road.
The Revolution Mill campus was formerly the site of a flannel mill founded by the Cone brothers around 1900. The mill ceased manufacturing operations in the early 1980s.
The property has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The structure was seen as significant in part because it was believed to be the South’s first flannel mill and the structures represented “the most intact of the turn-of-the century Cone-affiliated textile mills in Greensboro,” according to the preservation paperwork filed in 1984.
Since taking ownership of the property in 2012, Self-Help Ventures, a nonprofit development group based in Durham, has been working to redevelop it, putting in apartments, two restaurants, event spaces and offices for more than 100 groups and organizations.
2005 Revolution Mill is located in a space that previously served as a warehouse for the mill, Revolution Mill General Manager Nick Piornack said. He said it cost $38 million to develop the building, an amount which included about $17 million in state and federal tax credits.
The brick facade retains the look of an old mill while the inside has been modernized. In the case of the 2005 building, that meant opening it up to allow light in the formerly dark warehouse building. Much of that light comes through the glass ceiling.
The floors are original and while they have been sanded and sealed, some cracks are still visible.
The site now includes the medical spa Restoration Medspa as well as a nail salon which uses steam rather than water and a jeweler from South America. The building includes 33 apartments and office space for companies such as Cone Denim.
Piornack said he expects the entire building will be fully occupied by the end of the year. Several new drinking and dining options are currently planned for 2005 Revolution Mill and an adjacent building.
A taco restaurant will open by the end of this year in the 2005 building while Winston-Salem-based Incendiary Brewing will be opening a taproom in an adjacent building.
The brewery acknowledged the plans in a Facebook post earlier this month.
“The new space will open up to a large courtyard common area and feature our signature black walnut furniture and glowing bar inside. We’ll bring more of the live music, community events, and special beer releases that our patrons have come to expect,” the post said.
Piornack said the taproom is expected to open by this fall. Grapes and Grains, a speakeasy-style lounge, will open next to the Incendiary taproom space in June.
“All these restaurants and bars and breweries will all kind of come together to create somewhat of a social, interactive, cultural district so people can go from place to place,” he said. “Currently, we just have the pizzeria and we have Kau restaurant. This will add three more hospitality pieces to the puzzle so looking forward by the end of this year to really have a vibrant campus.”
A new brewery is coming to Greensboro later in 2024.
Incendiary Brewing Company announced it will open a satellite taproom within Greensboro's Revolution Mill.
The brewery first opened in Winston-Salem in 2018. Then, in 2023, it opened a taproom in Raleigh.
Incendiary Brewing Company said the new space on Revolution Mill's campus will open up to a large courtyard common area. There will be live music, community events, and beer releases. It's not clear what part of the campus the brewery will occupy.
Photo by Carl Wilson
The second phase of Self-Help's $100 million-plus mixed-use project is officially opening, bringing new businesses, more office space and apartments and new and existing restaurant and hospitality concepts to the redevelopment.
2005 Revolution Mill officially opened today as the second phase of Revolution Mill, the mixed-use development in northeast Greensboro by nonprofit community development organization Self-Help Ventures Fund. The redevelopment of the 145,000-square-foot, five-story building for the has been in the works since 2018 and includes retail, office, apartment and restaurant space, all in various stages of completion.
The $38 million project was financed partly with $5.5 million in New Market Tax Credits, $5 million in Federal Historic Tax Credit investment and $6.7 million in State Historic Tax Credit investment, in addition to investment from Self-Help. The project, which Self-Help said "aims to bolster economic development" in the area, also has created an estimated 315 construction jobs and 323 new permanent jobs in the process, according to a release from Self-Help.
Nick Piornack, general manager of Revolution Mill, said the building was originally six floors but the second floor was taken out to provide higher ceilings and more space for the first-floor retailers. In addition, space was taken out of the center of the building to allow for an open atrium, that the upper floors look out onto.
The first-floor retailers include the second location of Restoration Medspa, who's original storefront is in Winston-Salem and the first location of Cure Waterless Nail Spa, which Piornack said have both been open for about eight months. Cure Waterless Nail Spa describes itself as "waterless" and "non-toxic" and offers a variety of nail polishes. Restoration Medspa offers treatments including cool sculpting, botox, hormone therapy and derma-planing. Another store, JS Brand Jewelry, will open this month.
Also on the first floor is co-working space The Grove, which offers "flexible office spaces." Piornack said the space has been open for about six months, and currently has four office spaces open.
The second through fifth floors of the building include office space, with companies including Cone Textiles and CT Wilson Construction already in their spaces, and Shamrock Investment and City Electric moving in soon.
In addition, there are two bars and a potential restaurant that will be opening in the future as part of the second phase of the project. Piornack said Revolution Mill is currently in negotiations for a future 6,000- square-foot Taqueria on the first floor by owners of multiple restaurants in the Triad, though this would be a new concept. He also said there is potential for the space adjacent to the future restaurant that could be used a cultural hub and host events such as comedy shows.
In addition, Piornack said construction will soon be starting on the future site of Incendiary Brewing Co., which will be opening at tap room in Revolution Mill, likely in October. With its first location in Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem, Piornack said beer will continue to be brewed in Winston-Salem and transported to the Greensboro site. Part of the construction on the space will include installing garage doors into the space that will open out onto the patio and the docks area of Revolution Mill.
Another wine bar concept which will include regular piano concerts will be coming in about four months to an adjacent building, but still as part of the second phase of the project. Piornack said the idea is to be a hospitality concept that will include outdoor entertainment in the summer that patrons of all the bars and restaurant can enjoy, with food from restaurants being available to those at the establishments that will not serve food.
Revolution Mill is thrilled to announce the official opening of its second phase, 2005 Revolution Mill, on Wednesday, May 1st. The celebration will commence from 3:30 to 5:30 pm at 2005 E. Yanceyville Street, Greensboro, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:00 pm followed by a reception, refreshments, and guided tours of the development.
2005, the most recent development on the Revolution Mill Campus, aims to bolster economic development in northeastern Greensboro. This ambitious project by non-profit community development organization Self-Help Ventures Fund has been in the works since 2018, turning a 145,000-square-foot building into a dynamic mixed-use hub featuring residential and commercial tenants, and creating an estimated 315 construction jobs and 323 new permanent jobs in the process.
Built in two phases between 1915 and 1935, the historic five-story building now blends modern aesthetics with industrial heritage, boasting original brick walls, expansive windows, exposed concrete pillars, and polished concrete floors. Significantly, the structure is built atop the recently restored North Buffalo Creek and is situated adjacent to public gathering areas known as “The Stacks” and "The Docks."
Currently, select leasing opportunities are available for the third and fourth floor Class A commercial office spaces. On the first floor, "The Grove" offers flexible office spaces tailored for new businesses, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and three retailers. Excitingly, negotiations are underway for a future 6,000 square foot restaurant within the project, and adjacent to 2005, an upcoming hospitality area is in the works, set to introduce a tap room, bar, additional restaurants and retail spaces in 2025.
The $38 million dollar project was made possible with $5.5 million in New Market Tax Credits, $5 million in Federal Historic Tax Credit investment, and $6.7 million in State Historic Tax Credit Investment, along with Self-Help’s significant investment.
Lee Mortensen, Real Estate Leasing & Marketing Manager, Self-Help, Revolution Mill
Lee.Mortensen@self-help.org
919-956-4455 (direct)
Jenny Shields, Director of Media Relations, Self-Help
jenny.shields@self-help.org
919.794.6798 (direct)
(919) 584-4379 (cell)
Architect Eddie Belk, 74 years old and dressed in a well-worn green T-shirt, khaki pants, and a red-and-white North Carolina State University ball cap, looks over what was once an enormous cotton-spinning room at Revolution Mill in Greensboro, North Carolina. It’s an impressive scene: two rows of 14-foot-tall heart-pine columns run down the middle of the expanse, longer than two football fields. Sunlight from the clerestory windows above creates patterns on the polished maple floors. White doors with transom windows on each side of this building and an adjacent one lead to 150 apartments with tall ceilings, recycled-glass countertops, and exposed brick walls. “No matter who I bring in here, they get that smile on their face trying to gather it all in,” he says, noticing my grin. “It’s a wonderful space. I’ll come in here just to spend a minute. Just to enjoy it.”
Decades ago, this space was impressive for different reasons. This was the heart of Revolution Cotton Mills, at one time the largest cotton flannel mill in the world. The spinning room was where hundreds of looms the size of golf carts clattered away, 24 hours a day. Cotton lint filled the air as fans moving along a track, still present on the ceiling, blew debris off the machines. Giant “air washer” units did their best to suck the particles out of the room. Workers, dubbed “lintheads” by those outside the mill communities, would leave their shifts covered in dust. Some came down with brown lung disease caused by inhaling fibers or lost fingers to the rapidly moving looms. Millwork was a dangerous job.
Photo Credit: Kate Medley
This spinning room is one of nine renovated buildings—six contiguous—on the sprawling 42-acre campus of Revolution Mill, a mixed-use development that includes apartments, offices, restaurants, shops, and event spaces. Belk, principal at Belk Architecture in Durham, North Carolina, is eager to show me them all. This is the 14th mill complex that Belk’s firm has worked on, and at 750,000 square feet it isn’t even the largest. That title goes to the 1-million-square-foot American Tobacco factory: nine buildings in Durham that Belk and his team turned into a mixed-use campus, the first tenants arriving in 2005. All told, Belk says he’s redesigned more than 7 million square feet of historic properties since launching his firm on his birthday in 1982. “This is one of my architectural children that I’m proud of,” he says of Revolution Mill in a lilting Carolina drawl. “By the time we got to this one, [old mills] were just something that we understood.”
We began our tour several hours earlier in what was the distribution warehouse, a five-story, brick-clad building that dates to 1915 (with a 1930 addition). Here, workers would store reams of finished flannel awaiting pickup via trains on adjacent tracks. Belk’s firm ended up removing a 40- by 40-foot section of the building’s interior to create a soaring atrium topped by skylights. At night, LED lights mounted on metal rings around concrete support columns shine upward. “It’s just a beautiful sight,” he says.
Traces of the building’s prior use can be found throughout: nicks on the columns from careless forklift operators, scorch marks from some past fire, an old bale press repurposed into a bench. On one concrete support someone has scrawled, “T.W. Nelson, Aug. 27, 1969.”
When Belk and his team surveyed the property in 2013, they found the majority of the mill buildings structurally sound. The sturdy columns and floors had done their jobs, but most structures required new roofs. As in many Southern mills, at some point the windows throughout the complex had been bricked over, as the advent of air washing systems and fluorescent lighting replaced natural ventilation and sunlight. During the rehabilitation, crews removed these bricks and repaired and replicated hundreds of windows and frames throughout, including in the warehouse, dubbed Mill House.
These days, the warehouse holds a coworking space, a nail salon, a cosmetic medical office, a future eatery and market, and three apartments on its ground floor. Upper floors contain another 30 apartments as well as office space, including the homes of two national textile design firms. More than four decades after Revolution Mill’s looms went silent, the textile industry has returned. “These companies have all decided, ‘Well, let’s go back to the mill,’” says Belk. “It seems very appropriate, doesn’t it?”
Photo Credit: Kate Medley
Revolution Mill’s roots date to 1891, when brothers Moses and Ceasar Cone, the two eldest sons of a prominent German-Jewish immigrant family in Baltimore, formed the Cone Export & Commission Company to broker Southern textile products. Soon they decided to operate their own mills and built their first Greensboro plant, Proximity Cotton Mills, which began weaving denim in 1896. Revolution was the brothers’ second mill; they opened it in 1899 with business partners Emanuel and Herman Sternberger specifically to produce cotton flannel. Six years later the Cones finished building White Oak Cotton Mills, which became the world’s largest denim factory, eventually supplying material for Levi Strauss, Lee, Wrangler, and others. Proximity Print Works, opened in 1912, was the South’s first plant to specialize in printed cotton fabrics.
Like other mill owners in the region, the Cones built self-sufficient villages for their employees. The company provided land for churches, stores, schools, playing fields, and recreation centers, and constructed hundreds of simple clapboard company-owned houses that workers leased. Black employees lived in a separate village and often worked lower-paying jobs at the mills or toiled in the houses of company higher-ups who occupied an area dubbed “Snob Hill.” By the 1940s, more than 2,600 workers lived in 1,500 houses around the four plants.
But by the 1970s, the American textile industry was in decline, as manufacturing jobs moved overseas. Revolution Mill produced its last flannel in 1982, and the complex was left to deteriorate. The local economy also declined as workers sought opportunities elsewhere. The other Cone mills closed, with White Oak hanging on until early 2018—one of the last remaining denim mills in the country.
Proximity Cotton Mills was razed, and many thought Revolution Mill would suffer the same fate. “Mills were not celebrated as part of North Carolina history at all,” says Benjamin Briggs, head of Preservation North Carolina, who previously consulted on the rehabilitation of Revolution as executive director of Preservation Greensboro. He says lawsuits from brown lung and the rapid decline of United States–made textiles precipitated the demolition of historic mills across the state. “How did you deal with our deep textile mill history?” asks Briggs. “You got rid of it.”
But starting in the late 1990s and into the 2000s, a couple of local developers, Jim Peeples and Frank Auman, saw an opportunity. They purchased Revolution Mill and transformed several buildings into office and event space. Although the economic bust of 2008 forced the pair to abandon their plans, Briggs credits the duo with saving the complex. In 2012 one of their creditors, Self-Help Ventures Fund, a Durham-based nonprofit and community development lender, acquired the property. It has since pumped more than $140 million into the project, with just over $40 million coming from federal and state historic tax credits and about $13 million from New Markets Tax Credits. The National Trust Community Investment Corporation (NTCIC), a for-profit subsidiary of the National Trust, provided critical tax credit financing needed for the Mill House rehabilitation, completed in May 2023.
Self-Help tapped Chicago native Nick Piornack, who had previously redeveloped historic buildings in Greensboro’s South End into a bustling restaurant and entertainment scene, as business development manager. Piornack says his role was to help “sell the sizzle,” but at that point, there wasn’t much of a spark. Although the mill sits just two miles northeast of downtown, it might have been another world. “The people downtown and in more wealthy areas had no reason to come here,” says Piornack, now general manager of the property. “It’s an old mill and it’s collapsing. How the heck are we going to get this thing back on the map?”
Piornack thought Revolution Mill was a project that “people had to touch.” He began inviting different groups—young professionals, garden clubs, Rotary clubs, Kiwanis members—luring them with the promise of free food and drinks and “behind the scenes” tours. Using renderings created by Belk, he painted pictures of the mill’s future. “You’ll see this place in two years and you won’t believe it,” he told them. For several years, Piornack sold the promise, telling everyone he could. “All of a sudden, the buzz started,” he says. “People were telling people, ‘Boy, you won’t believe what they are doing over there!’ It just snowballed.”
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Revolution Mill has experienced many working and living communities inside its walls for over 100 years.
The Revolution Mill was one of the mills owned by the infamous Cone brothers, Moses and Ceasar Cone. The duo were one of the textiles giants in the south, specifically North Carolina.
Revolution opened its doors in the late 1890s as the largest flannel mill of the south with at one point 1,000 mills running for 16 hours a day, according to the Revolution Mill website.
Looms continued to run, making flannels and items for soldiers at the mill until its closure in 1982, when it became vacant for a few years.
The mill passed hands and began transforming into office and event spaces until it was purchased by private company Self-Help in 2012. Self-Help began a $100,000,000 renovation on Revolution Mill, according to the mill’s website.
Nick Piornack has a passion for preservation after working on restoration projects in downtown Greensboro. He began working on his largest project yet, Revolution Mill.
“What I love is when people come visit, and I do tours quite a bit to show folks what's happened that have either been here before or had been here years ago and saw it as an old warehouse of the factory," said Piornack, the general manager and owner rep for Revolution Mill.
Revolution Mill has passed in its thumping of machinery for the hustle and bustle of restaurants, breweries, event spaces, art galleries, business headquarters, store fronts and apartments.
“Their eyes and their excitement. And they can't believe that, you know, we have 142 companies and 183 apartments and restaurants and all these things here that, you know, their memory is at the old and loud and manufacturing, and now it's all reborn again,” Piornack said.
All of the newly built rooms inside of the mill used to be part of the working floor, full of machines and workers.
“It’s completely restored of all the original floors are still in place, the the maple floors,” beamed Piornack. With original brick and some authentic window panes still standing inside the mill.
Along with original fire doors, fans to remove lint off of so called “lint heads” within the factory and the original beam structures where the looms would cut into the pillars used in the aesthetic design of the mill are revealing its history to new visitors.
Revolution Mill, just minutes from downtown Greensboro, is an incredible opportunity for businesses and entrepreneurs who want to provide exceptional working spaces with an abundance of amenities for employees.
Greensboro is the third most populous city in North Carolina, behind Charlotte and Raleigh. Just an hour from the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway and seated conveniently at the junction of three major highways, Greensboro offers residents an incredible combination of beauty, history, convenience and opportunity.
One example of that offering is Revolution Mill. The first flannel mill in the South, Revolution Mill was opened in 1898 by Moses and Ceasar Cone and cemented Greensboro as an important hub of North Carolina’s textile manufacturing economy. After almost a century in business, the mill closed its doors. The campus sat vacant for nearly two decades before Self-Help, one of the nation’s largest community development financial institutions, invested in the property and began early redevelopment.
While maintaining the name and honoring the important history, Revolution Mill is now a completely reimagined, revitalized, vibrant mixed-use space that allows residents, businesses and visitors a wealth of opportunities.
"Revolution Mill helped to establish Greensboro’s manufacturing tradition and its prominence as a community of innovation and artisanship. That legacy continues today," said Nick Piornack with Self-Help, general manager of Revolution Mill.
The 45-acre site is now a destination campus that is home to industry, apartments, art, galleries, restaurants and more.
Entrepreneurs and employers love to call Revolution Mill home because of the amenities it provides employees. Within footsteps, workers can get a coffee at Union Coffee, grab an award-winning pastry at Black Magnolia Bakery, or get lunch at Cugino Forno Pizzeria or Kau, North Carolina’s first all-encompassing restaurant, butcher and bar.
And when the clock strikes quitting time, employees can unwind their way. Turn one way and grab a beverage at The Bearded Goat, or turn the other and head to the on-campus fitness center and yoga studio.
In addition to these opportunities, Revolution Mill continues the legacy of artistry and artisanship. Public events include outdoor movies and concerts in the midst of carefully chosen public art. The permanent Central Gallery invites visitors to view rotating art exhibits featuring selections that appeal to art lovers of all kinds, from photography and quilts to impressionism and realism.
One past exhibit in the Central Gallery, Faces of Revolution, has a permanent home in the campus Hall of Fame. This expansive portrait collection tells the story of Revolution Mill through the intimate portraits and personal stories of the lives historically touched by the space.
"The history and tradition at Revolution Mill lends itself well to having local artwork featured prominently throughout the campus. It provides a warm and colorful environment for tenants and visitors alike," said Christy Smith with the CBRE|Triad leasing team.
CBRE|Triad has been handling the leasing efforts for the project’s office and retail space since Q4 2015, watching it evolve into this dynamic community. They have been involved in leasing 471,500 square feet to a combination of local, regional and national companies.
