Originally built in 1905, Henry River was once a cotton yarn mill that was in operation until the mid 1960’s. The old mill building burned in 1977 leaving the company store, houses, and a couple smaller buildings, plus the dam.
I stumbled upon this place in 2007 and visited it with a couple other explorers. It seemed at the time doomed to continue deteriorating and to eventually be leveled for some sort of new construction.
But then in 2011, a movie you may have heard of called The Hunger Games used part of the mill as a filming location, and since then things have changed dramatically, and for the better.
Today, Henry River is open to visitors for photos, weddings, events, and guests can even stay overnight in remodeled mill houses. The transformation has been incredible, and it’s so wonderful to see a place be brought back from the dead and saved from the wrecking ball. If you’re looking for something to do with a free day, it’s worth the drive.
