Visit a community that housed one of the largest late-19th century cotton mills in the state of Georgia!

Established in 1896, Lindale’s first textile mill, Massachusetts Cotton Mill, quickly became one of the largest mills across the state of Georgia. Although the mill closed in 2001, it is still highly revered within this community.


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Places to See

The following properties are not open to the public, but you can view them from the exterior to learn more about the buildings that supported the textile industry here.

  • Lindale Mill Remains and Village, 6 Park Avenue Southeast: The majority of the Lindale Mill has been demolished, but a few buildings along the creek and the iconic smokestacks still remain. The remaining portions of the mill have been repurposed to serve as movie sets and a wedding venue. The massive mill employed thousands and built hundreds of houses to shelter their operatives. Two large sections of the mill village consist of two-story duplexes with entrances on the gable ends. The side of the home usually faces the road, the building was divided between two tenants. Another section of the village demonstrates characteristics of the small-house movement which took place during the 1930s and 1940s.

History


  • Photo of the Lindale Wildcat strike
    Lindale Wildcat Strike. Photo courtesy: Daniel Scott Wilson

In 1896, Massachusetts Cotton Mills, of Lowell, Mass., established a textile mill in Lindale. Equipped with 42,000 spindles and 1,400 looms the Massachusetts Mill quickly became one of the largest mills in Georgia. To house employees, mill owners constructed 75 new four, six, eight, and ten-room dwellings. The mill also supplied a primary school with paid teachers free of charge to mill employees.

Purchasing additional land for a mill expansion in 1901, by 1903 the mill doubled its capacity.  In 1905, the mill hired an additional 300 workers. The mill owners built several recreational facilities for the mill employees including an auditorium, a library, a swimming pool, and a billiards room in 1921. In 1926, Pepperell Manufacturing Company purchased the Massachusetts Cotton Mills and the Lindale plant. The Pepperell Mill baseball team joined the baseball teams of six other mills, forming the Northwest Georgia Textile League.

During World War II, Lindale Mills manufactured fatigue uniforms, ammunition bags, camouflage, gloves, bandages, women’s uniforms in aviation and power plants, and other materials for the United States Military. In July 1943, the Lindale division of Pepperell Manufacturing Company received the Army-Navy “E” award for excellence for its contribution to the war effort. The mill raised a flag signifying the award and employees sported lapel pins demonstrating their contribution to the war effort.

For inspiration during hard times, employees of Pepperell Manufacturing Company built a wooden star lined with lights to hang between the mill’s smoke stacks at Christmas time during the Great Depression. This tradition remains incorporated into the community’s Christmas celebration today, despite the mill closing in 2001.


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Resources to Explore

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