Long Mill

Long Mill. . , Organized in 1882, Riverside Cotton Mills began construction of its first-building that same year. Main Street Bridge, a wooden structure, crossed the Dan River and a canal flowed beneath its southern end. The mill utilized the water power of this canal. In 1887, a second mill was built upstream on the north side of the river using the power provided by a new canal leading from the Union Street Dam. Later, the canal's water power enabled the production of electricity that ran the machinery of the mills., The mortar was hardly dry on this second building before construction began on an addition. In less than a decade, two more adjoining additions extended the enclosure into one long mill along the river's north bank., Commonly known as the "Long Mill," the facility ceased operations in the early 1990s after having provided a livelihood for many thousands of Danvillians from several generations., In 1895, the company built a low dam diagonally across the river above Main Street Bridge and a new building on the river's north bank just below the bridge. In 1995, this building, known as Mill No. 6, was demolished. This mill's power source, the 600-plus-foot dam, however, remains., In 1909, Riverside Cotton Mill merged with the Dan River Power and Manufacturing Company which had built several mills in the Schoolfield area, west of the city. The new company, named Riverside and Dan River Cotton Mills, went on to become a world leader in textile manufacturing. The firm continued its operations as Dan River, Incorporated until the last plant was closed in 2007., Historical text provided by F Lawrence McFall, Jr. , A project of the City of Danville. , Layout and design by Kim Demont (formerly Vaden and Associates). , Plaque production sponsored by The Danville Riverview Rotary Club.