The City of Opelika is pleased to announce that the Pepperell Mill and Village have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, and is the country’s official list of United States historic sites considered worthy of preservation. Addition to the Register honors the property by recognizing its importance to its community and protect our historic and archaeological resources.
Specifically cited were:
- Industry – From its founding in 1925 through much of the 20th century, the Pepperell Mill was the largest industry in Opelika. The Pepperell Mill had a significant impact on Opelika, sparking population increases, commercial growth, and additional industrial development.
- Community Planning and Development – The Pepperell Mill and Village Historic District is significant for its documentation of a planned textile mill village. It encompassed approximately 240 buildings, including residential housing, a church, a post office, a drugstore, a barber shop, a gas station, and a childcare facility.
- Architecture – is a collection of representative examples of textile mill residential and industrial commercial. Standardized mill housing, many with Craftsman/Bungalow style details illustrating common folk forms such as gable fronts, pyramidal, and massed plan variations.
The Pepperell Mill and Village Historic District consist of 223 properties representing the late 19th and early 20th century American movements.
From the Archives — originally published on the Opelika Daily News on June 10, 2014. View the original page.
