Carr Mill Mall
Encyclopedia
Carr Mill Mall is a small, local shopping mall
located in Carrboro, North Carolina
. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. It is also a host for numerous local live performances and other cultural events.
, it was formerly a cotton mill
known as Alberta and the town's original name West End. By 1913, it had become one of the world's largest hardwood cross-tie markets, shipping them on train tracks still visible by the mall today. Alberta Cotton Mill is the former mill name of Carr Mill Mall. The mill originally processed cotton
. In 1909, the Julian Carr family bought the mill. In 1913 Carrboro, previously known as West End, was renamed "Venable" in honor of Francis P. Venable
, the president of the University of North Carolina
at that time. The mill closed by 1930. In 1945, the miil re-opened and remained open until the 1960s.
In 1974, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen decided to have the building torn down to build a mall. The community was outraged, and in 1977 the mill reopened again in its new incarnation as Carr Mill Mall. Today, it has expanded to include many shops. It also hosts dental services provided by Orange County
, although the $68,000 annually spent for dental services may be cut in the 2009 budget due to an $8.7 million county budget shortfall.
During the course of 2006, some local residents expressed annoyance at new rules stating that all performances on the Weaver Street Market
lawn must have signed permission in advance from the owners of Carr Mill Mall. The area consistently holds events and entertainment.
The song Freight Train
by Elizabeth Cotten
is inspired by the train than ran past her house on Lloyd St, and served the needs of Carr Mill. Cotten wrote the song in the early 1900s, as a young teenager.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
located in Carrboro, North Carolina
Carrboro, North Carolina
Carrboro is a town in Orange County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 19,582 at the 2010 census. The town, which is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan statistical area, was named after North Carolina industrialist Julian Shakespeare Carr.Located near Chapel Hill and...
. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It is also a host for numerous local live performances and other cultural events.
History
Built in 1898 by Thomas F. LloydThomas F. Lloyd
Thomas Franklin Lloyd is one of the founders of Carrboro, North Carolina. He was a prominent North Carolina industrialist who built the Alberta Cotton Mill in 1898 in Carrboro; the former factory building is now home to the Carr Mill Mall.He was part of a prominent family that settled in Orange...
, it was formerly a cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
known as Alberta and the town's original name West End. By 1913, it had become one of the world's largest hardwood cross-tie markets, shipping them on train tracks still visible by the mall today. Alberta Cotton Mill is the former mill name of Carr Mill Mall. The mill originally processed cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. In 1909, the Julian Carr family bought the mill. In 1913 Carrboro, previously known as West End, was renamed "Venable" in honor of Francis P. Venable
Francis Preston Venable
Francis Preston Venable was a chemist, educator, and president of the University of North Carolina . His father, Charles Scott Venable, was aide-de-camp to Gen. Robert E...
, the president of the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
at that time. The mill closed by 1930. In 1945, the miil re-opened and remained open until the 1960s.
In 1974, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen decided to have the building torn down to build a mall. The community was outraged, and in 1977 the mill reopened again in its new incarnation as Carr Mill Mall. Today, it has expanded to include many shops. It also hosts dental services provided by Orange County
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,801. Its county seat is Hillsborough...
, although the $68,000 annually spent for dental services may be cut in the 2009 budget due to an $8.7 million county budget shortfall.
During the course of 2006, some local residents expressed annoyance at new rules stating that all performances on the Weaver Street Market
Weaver Street Market
Weaver Street Market is a worker- and consumer-owned cooperative selling natural and organic food with a focus on local and fair trade products. The original market is situated in the heart of Carrboro, North Carolina in Carr Mill Mall and plays host to a large number of community events...
lawn must have signed permission in advance from the owners of Carr Mill Mall. The area consistently holds events and entertainment.
The song Freight Train
Freight Train (song)
Freight Train is a song on the 1989 album by Nitro, O.F.R.. In the video for Freight Train, Michael Angelo Batio uses the one-of-a-kind quad guitar, which is a guitar with 4 necks. The top two necks have 7 strings and the bottom 2 have 6 strings. Unfortunately, that guitar was stolen after the...
by Elizabeth Cotten
Elizabeth Cotten
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten was an American blues and folk musician, singer, and songwriter.A self-taught left-handed guitarist, Cotten developed her own original style. Her approach involved using a right-handed guitar , not re-strung for left-handed playing, essentially, holding a right-handed...
is inspired by the train than ran past her house on Lloyd St, and served the needs of Carr Mill. Cotten wrote the song in the early 1900s, as a young teenager.