Greensboro's industrial past...(revolution mills)

I've always been vaguely aware of the textile industry's history and presence here (Greensboro native) but I've never taken it upon myself to investigate the details until now. 

The Cone brothers brought the textile industry to Greensboro in the early 1900s, making the city a center for the Southern textile industry. I think the most telling detail of what this did for Greensboro is in the population census. Greensboro's population was around 3,300 people in 1890. By 1900 it had jumped to 10,000 and nearly doubled by the beginning of the following decade. The next big increase occurred between 1920 (19,861) and 1930 (53,569). Greensboro's population, again, more then doubled in a 20 year span from 1950 (74,389) to 1970 (144,076). 

While one cannot associate the textile industry as the sole reason for the population influx, it held a big role in the development of Greensboro's community. By introducing the textile industry to the city you create a demand for labor (i.e. the creation of jobs). The Cone brothers chose Greensboro for its  "proximity" to raw materials and resources (the South...I would say the railroads also had a big impact on this as well). It also helped that there was a high demand for these products in the North. When a company can't keep production up with the demand for a product, you expand your business (build more mills, create more jobs). While all of this is happening, a tax base is being created and expanded upon simultaneously. Workers buy homes and pay property taxes to the city government. The mills also pay property taxes to the city. Why do we pay property taxes?  The city provides services (i.e. police, fire fighters, etc) and infrastructure (i.e. civic buildings, parks, roads, bridges, etc) to its citizens. 

In the early 1970's, American textiles started to take hits from an evolving global market place. The situation in its most basic form: other countries businesses could produce the same product at a cheaper price and sell it a cheaper price (and still make a profit). The profit margin for a company that can pay its workers 10 cents an hour is going to be considerably higher than a company who pays its workers $5.50 an hour (there are other variables involved but this example makes the point). Anyway, mills started to close, people lost jobs, etc. 

Revolution mill closed in 1982 and has changed owners a few times up until now.

With the fall of the textile industry and others (autos in Detroit), we are seeing the transformation of the American economy from a "manufacturing" economy to a "service-based" economy. I believe Revolution Mills Studios is helping to execute this transition while also keeping with Greensboro's history and past. With sustainable development being a major issue these days, its not uncommon for historic industrial buildings to be converted into mixed-use applications.