Newest Renovations Add to the Long History of Lincoln Mill

Huntsville’s historic Lincoln Mill has been undergoing a complete renovation to “transform the development into the amenity-rich office complex it was meant to be,” according to Crunkleton Commercial Real Estate. 

Located near downtown Huntsville’s bustling core, Lincoln Mill has always stood out for its accessibility, location, architecture, and historical influence. These features combined make it the ideal candidate for a revitalization to further serve the community, and connect the area of downtown with North Huntsville’s educational center.

Crunkleton’s effort to renovate the site is just the latest example of a community that aims to preserve pieces of its past that help tell the story of Huntsville

Lincoln Mill first opened in 1900 and quickly became the largest textile mill in Huntsville. It operated under multiple different names in its first few decades of operation, such as Madison Spinning Company, rebranded as Abingdon Mills in 1908, and finally became Lincoln Mill in 1918. 

The idea of transforming Lincoln Mill into a dedicated office space came in the late 1950s. Local business representatives took control of the site in 1957 after multiple worker strikes in 1950 and 1954 that forced the textile mill to close its doors for good. 

Dye House building and Building #3 circa 1960

Their main goal was to reopen the mill as the Huntsville Industrial Complex (HIC) in order to attract Wernher Von Braun and the Army Missile Command to the city. 

The new industrial complex was utilized as a place for hundreds of engineers to work on the early missile and rocket programs. The old Lincoln Mill would be a hub for the industry that eventually gave Huntsville its “Rocket City” nickname. 

After the largest fire in the history of Huntsville raged through its campus in 1982, new owners took control of HIC and renamed it the Downtown Industrial Complex. Major renovations would take place at the oldest structures that survived the fire, Mill No. 3 and the Dye House, and they became home to tenants from engineering companies, educational facilities and government offices. 

The complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010 and was acquired by Crunkleton Commercial Real Estate in 2020 with big plans for major renovations. 

Updated, community signage and a new courtyard are some of the newest additions to the 220-thousand square foot property since the project was announced in 2020.

The updates have not only added to the look of Lincoln Mill but also its functionality. Officials at Crunkleton are aiming to take the location from just offices to a community hub that everyone can enjoy.

The project team for redevelopment is made up of local experts including Matheny Goldmon, Joe Still Building Company, and Lanier Ford.

Some of the most recent changes are clearly visible even when driving by. The Dye House, now the property’s retail hub, received new paint and added storefronts in a new facelift. A massive sign featuring the new logo was also installed on the roof of the main office building in September.

Bikes at Lincoln Mill that are a part of Huntsville’s Blue Bike program in and around downtown

Additional signage has also been placed in order for the North and South lobbies to be easily identified as well as a new branded monument located on Meridian Street.

There’s also a new station for Downtown Huntsville’s Blue Bike program. The bike rack provides rentable bikes that anyone can use with the use of the free Movatic app. Finally, a brand new court yard has also been added to the South Lobby.

For those who wish to stay up to date on the Lincoln Mill revitalization process, Crunkleton Real Estate’s website publishes all of the updates including new tenants, amenities and completion timelines in its blog at www.crunkletonassociates.com/blog/.