History of the Mill and Area

We got word from the realtor yesterday that he is sending the contract to the closing attorney to do the title search. As we prepare for closing (next Friday), I thought I would put together some history of the mill and surrounding area.

The mill was built in 1903-1904. It was the second mill in the Hoskins area, which was known as Chadwick at that time. Mill villages surrounded the mills. According to the Charlotte Daily Observer, Hoskins Mill was to be “one of the best and handsomest manufacturing plants in the South.” The floors consisted of “three layers of timber, with a total thickness of about five inches. The top layer of the floors…maple.” The mill even had a stop, “Hoskins Station,” on the commuter rail line that went from Charlotte to Gastonia at that time. Unfortunately, it is only serviced by CATS buses today. Click for more information from CMHLC.

There was also an amusement park nearby. It was called Lakewood Park, complete with a lake, rides, swimming pool, and petting zoo. How cool would that be? It was open from 1910-1933. The map below is from the website lakewoodparkcharlotte.com.







The mill had a fire in 1985, which caused it to be shut down. The mill was partially converted to condos in 2005, with marketing beginning in March and the C/O given in July. CMHLC observes that the mill area, "now part of the City of Charlotte...remains a working-class residential area, punctuated by warehouses and industrial buildings." So yes, we are moving to a non-walkable, slightly questionable area. I'll give updates as I come across more information.